Reality
by LeilaEditer
Summary: Zelda hates Link more than anything. Yet he seems to hold a strange attraction for her. When evil rises and the two are pulled into an ancient plan set by the goddesses, they'll discover Zelda's lost past, change their futures, and maybe Zelda will find Link isn't so bad after all. That is, if they survive.
1. Prologue

**Hey this is my first fanfiction, so yeah. Tell me how it is or if I should CONTINUE it. I'll take any feedback! Except "go die in a hole." That's not constructive, nor will it help me in my creative process!**

**~Leila**

**[T for language and action scenes]**

**Edited: 07/16/14**

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><p>(Prologue)<p>

The clouds spread over the sky like a massive blanket. A wind ruffled the long grasses making them roll like the ocean they bordered. Among the shores of the Great Sea was a small strip of beach, framed by rocky cliffs and seldom visited by people. The shore was empty save for two young girls, the younger stumbling to keep up with her older sister.

A storm was brewing, a violent, nasty storm, but the children played on, unaware of the dangers.

The elder girl, about nine or ten years old, ran ahead of her little sister and taunted her. Her gray eyes sparkled mischievously, and her dark gold braid whipped in the wind.

"Hurry up, Zellie! You're way too SLOW!" the girl called to her sister.

The younger girl, only six years of age, had fair blonde curls almost white in the right light. Her eyes were a deep blue, a little too knowing and mature for a child of her age. She ran after her big sister, struggling in the wind and tripping over her shoelaces.

"Wait! Wait, Sissy!" she cried after her sister.

Sissy turned and put her hands on her hips.

"Honestly, Zellie. You're always so slow."

The younger girl nodded, trying to catch her breath.

"When-when are we getting there?" she whined in an impatient voice.

"We _are _here," Sissy said, a hint of impatience in her voice. "This is what I wanted you to see."

The child looked around, at the churning gray waters of the ocean, at the rustling silver-green grasses, and up at the gold rimed clouds. Being a child, she saw nothing extraordinary about the strip of beach.

"There's nothing here, Sissy."

Sissy grinned, an all-knowing big sister grin. "Zel, there's everything here," she whispered, her gray eyes alight with excitement.

Not understanding, the young girl tried looking again, looking for the everything her sister said was there.

"Let me show you, Zel," Sissy said calmly, seeing the confused look on her little sister's face. "Take my hand."

The child obeyed, taking Sissy's hand in her own small one. Sissy closed her eyes tight, muttered something the girl could not understand, then opened her eyes again and smiled.

"Look."

The young girl's eyes widened in amazement. The beach had been transformed; rocks were glowing with an unearthly green light, and the air had been filled with soft silver wisps, floating in every direction. They seemed to gravitate towards the young child, pulled to her by an unknown force. The girl giggled and reached out to grab one of the strands, only to find it had disappeared before she could touch it. As the child ran in pursuit of another fairy-like strand, her sister spoke to her softly.

"This is a Landing, Zel. It's a very special place, a piece of land blessed by the goddesses themselves."

This caught the girl's attention; the goddesses were mighty queens in the child's mind.

"Do the goddesses come here?" the child questioned. Sissy's lips curved into a smile.

"Maybe they do. Maybe you'll meet them someday."

The young girl's face lit up at the thought.

"Just promise me this, Zel. Don't forget this place. Whenever you feel lost, or even scared, come here. You're always safe here," Sissy said softly, a strange look in her eyes. Her sister nodded eagerly.

"Promise?" Sissy asked.

"Promise."

Sissy brought her hands to the clasp of the golden necklace around her neck. "Here," she said, pinning the thin gold chain around her sister's neck. From the chain dangled a small, gold, triangular pendant similar to the one on the young girl's hand.

"It's so pretty, Sissy. What's the triangle?" the child asked, examining the charm.

"It's the Triforce, Zellie. The golden power of the goddesses."

The girl turned the small triangle over in her hand, looking at it thoughtfully. A similar mark had begun to take shape on her hand, just faintly present.

The wind blew stronger still, now taking an icy chill. Sissy glanced around nervously, observing for the first time how close and dark the storm clouds were.

"Zel, we need to go. We need to go now-" she never finished her statement, for at that moment, a black arrow sailed through the air and buried itself in Sissy's chest. Blood welled from the wound, and with wide gray eyes, Sissy crumpled to the ground.

"Sissy?" the younger girl whispered, shaking her sister softly. "Sissy? Sissy!" the girl's voice rose to a shriek.

"Zelda..." Sissy croaked out. And then she spoke no more. Hysteria rising, the young girl shook her sister vigourously.

"Wake up, Sissy! It isn't nighttime yet!" the girl sobbed in a pleading voice. She looked over and up the hill where the arrow had come from, and saw a dark man wielding a bow was nocked and ready to fire, pointed straight at the child's heart.

"Sissy..."

The arrow flew from the bow, flying straight and true to its mark. The young girl hugged her sister's head and squeezed her eyes shut... But nothing happened.

Opening one eye, the girl saw the silver wisps had accumulated to form a solid wall, deflecting the arrow. She heard her sister's voice in her head,"_You'll always be safe here._" Was she truly safe? Was she safe without her sister's warm embrace and soothing tones? The little girl wanted to believe her sister had simply fallen asleep, but the crimson stained sand surrounding her fallen form told her otherwise.

Meanwhile, the bowman cast aside his weapon. He knew it could do little to the girl while she was in the Landing. Normally, he wouldn't be able to enter the sacred grounds of the Landing, but his master had blessed him with some of his power. For the time being, the bowman was free to enter the Landing as he pleased. Drawing his sharp silver dagger, he began approaching the small girl.

The girl looked up from her sister's body and screamed as she saw the man coming towards her.

"Please, Sissy!" she begged. "He has a knife, please!"

Yet her sister didn't move and the man grew closer still. The child began backing away slowly before turning and breaking into a sprint. The wind had picked up now, whipping her hair into her face and almost blowing her off her feet. She pushed against the gales with all her might, desperate to escape the assassin that pursued her. She came to one of the cliffs, a dead end. The child looked around desperately, then grabbed ahold of the rocky wall and began to climb.

Behind her, the bowman grew angry. He had not expected the girl to make it this far, let alone attempt to scale the cliff. With a low growl, he clamped the knife between his teeth and began to climb in pursuit of her.

The rain began to fall now, causing the rocks to become wet and slippery. The poor girl whimpered and pulled herself up higher still, her tears mingling with the rain streaming down her cheeks. The top was in sight now, if only she could make it a little higher...

Her foot slipped, and she screamed as her leg was sliced on a jagged rock. The rain was making it difficult to hold on and her hands were slipping... She desperately swung her leg up onto the top of the cliff, ignoring the blood gushing from the massive cut. She wanted Sissy. She just wanted Sissy.

The girl pulled herself up and began staggering across the face of the cliff, braving the spray of the ocean's waves and the wind whipping rain across her face like mini daggers.

The bowman pulled himself up to the top of the cliff and immediately located the young girl, her pink sweater pasted to her skin by the rain. He began to run after her, knowing sooner or later, she would get tired or slip. He was biding his time, waiting for the right moment.

Her breath came in ragged gasps, and the pain in her leg was almost unbearable. What was happening?

The child had barely any time to comprehend her sister's death before being thrust into this chaos. Her pink sneakers slapped against the uneven rock of the clifftop. Running and running, she had nowhere to go. What was she doing? Did it even mater?

Sobbing, she kept pushing on, losing speed, when suddenly, the ground was thrown from underneath her and her head hit the rock. The world faded to black.

The bowman smiled a crooked evil smile. Finally. The little girl had put up all of that fight for nothing; it was all in vain. He raised the dagger, lightning flashing on the silver, and was about to strike... But a hand reached out to stop him.

"I need her alive," a voice came from behind him, almost too quiet to be heard over the rain, waves and thunder.

The bowman shrank back and nodded. Who was he to deny the will of his master? He bowed deeply and stepped away from the child.

The new man, the master, walked over to the unconscious child. He gently lifted her limp body and cradled it in his arms. He had her. Finally, all his plans were coming together. He smiled, a wicked smile, and pushed some wet hair out of the child's face.

All that was left was the boy.

"It's alright, my little princess," he whispered.

"Papa's here."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter one, alright! It's okay I guess, but PLEASE please pretty please review to tell me what you think! Notice the exclamation point. That means it's important!**

**~Leila**

**BY THE WAY I FORGOT TO SAY: I don't own nintendo... blah blah... or Zelda (unfortunately...) blah blah... insert more legal stuff here.**

**Edited: 07/23/14**

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><p><strong>I've lived a lot of different lives<strong>  
><strong>Been different people many times<strong>  
><strong>I live my life in bitterness<strong>  
><strong>And fill my heart with emptiness<strong>

**And now I see, I see it for the first time,**  
><strong>There is no crime in being kind<strong>  
><strong>Not everyone is out to screw you over.<strong>  
><strong>Maybe, oh just maybe they just wanna get to know ya.<strong>

**/_Fear and Loathing _by Marina and the Diamonds/**

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><p>(Chapter One)<p>

**_Nine years later..._**

The golden sun peeked over the tops of the buildings, streaking the sky crimson and sending shadows and light dancing across the quiet streets.

Where most kids my age are sleeping soundly, waiting for the harsh blare of alarm clocks or their mother's gentle shakes, I was wide awake to greet the sun. I drew my knees closer to my chest and leaned my head against the window.

My hair was still damp from my four AM shower. It had been one of my nights, one of my many nights of insomnia. I have these nights often, as there is no one to tell me when to go to bed or to not stay up.

The red numbers on my alarm clock read seven AM, and I knew I should be getting ready for school, but I didn't move. I just sat on my window seat and watched as the sun overtook the sky. They say sunrises are the goddesses' gift to the world, the only time you can see their true splendor. I absently fingered my birthmark, the Triforce imprinted on the back of my right hand. When I was younger, I used to fantasize that I was a chosen one of the goddesses, but my father soon talked sense into me. Why would they pick me?

I smiled sadly against the window and forced myself to pull away from my warm spot. Pulling my hair out of its bun, I shook out my sunshine blonde curls until they fell to their place around my mid-back. I replaced my cozy sweatpants and green sweatshirt for skinny jeans and a pink top.

My golden necklace hung familiarly around my neck, and I grasped it for comfort. There's something about my necklace, the simple Triforce pendant, something that I know is there but I never can remember. It's like I can almost grasp it, but it slips right through my fingers.

After applying my makeup and fiddling with my hair, I was finally able to bring myself to leave my room.

I padded down the cold marble stairs, shivering as my feet made contact with the icy stone. My room seems to be the only warm area in the house, no matter how many blankets I carry around or how many fires I light. The house is like a glacier that refuses to thaw.

The kitchen was empty like normal, and I grabbed a granola bar and sat at the breakfast table. Silence wrapped around me like a blanket, only broken by the sounds of my chewing.

My mother died soon after I was born. I was told she was beautiful. After she died, my father, being the rich business man he is, needed to travel a lot and expected me to be able to fend for myself. And I did. On the first day of kindergarten when the other kids were crying and clinging to their mother's skirts, I marched through the doors silently with no one to wish me luck.

At one point my father hired a nanny, Impa, for me. Impa became like my second mother; she came to all my ballet recitals, walked me to school, and helped me sell Girl Scout cookies. She told me stories about the wonders of the goddesses and always made sure I prayed. Impa told me I was special, and I believed it.

Then one day, she disappeared. My father would not tell me where she had gone, and I was left alone again. Not that I mind. Alone has been my comfort my whole life.

There's just something comforting about curling up with a book, or taking quiet walks on the beach. It's not like I don't love hanging out with my friends, but nothing can quite beat the freedom of being by one's self.

Glancing at the clock, I shoved the rest of the granola in my mouth. On my way out the door, I yanked some flat gray tennis shoes, hastily tied the laces, and grabbed my books that were sitting on the table by the door.

I shut the door and made sure to lock it behind me. No one was going to be home all day.

Thus began my daily walk to school, inhaling the fresh ocean air and enjoying the slight breeze that blew my hair.

Hyrule Castle Town is a quiet beach town with cobblestone streets lined with cafes and antique shops. In the summers, the town seems to wake up to host wild carnivals full of games, food, and throngs of people. I've never gone. My father tells me it's a waste of time and money, two things better spent on education.

It's always about academics with my father; in his mind, education is first. I'm forced to skip out on a lot of gatherings with my friends and even gymnastics because my father feels I need to study. Perhaps this is why I stay up so late into the night; it's the only free time I have to do what I want.

The school building came into view, an old stone building with ivy growing in-between cracks and wild rose bushes bordering the doorway. I pushed open the heavy wood door and entered the pleasantly warm building. Many kids complain about the "infernal heat" in the late spring, but I find it quite comfortable.

The main hall of the school was filled with chattering students milling around, waiting for their classes to begin. I turned and started up the long stone staircase, waving and smiling to people.

I ducked out of the hallway and into the tenth grade room. They combine classes by age, and I've been with the same kids my whole life. The only difference is we get a new teacher each year.

I wove my way to my desk by the window and set my books down.

"Hey, you," I heard a voice behind me.

Turning, I saw my best friend Midna standing behind me, a wide smile on her face. Her orange hair was up in its usual high ponytail, and she was wearing a black cross-country sweatshirt.

Midna and I have been best friends ever since first grade, when it was Girl Scout's Daddy-Daughter dance. I was close to tears because my dad wasn't there, and if I didn't dance, I wouldn't get my patch. I felt a tap on my arm and saw a girl with eyes like a sunset smiling at me with pointed teeth.

_"Hey, you're alright. My daddy isn't here either," she told me. I wiped my eyes on my vest and looked at her._

_"He's not?"_

_"Nope, we're the only only ones. That makes us kind of special."_

_That had made me smile._

_"What's you name? I'm Zelda," I had said._

_"Nice to meet you, Zelda! I'm Midna. Now let's go dance. I bet we'll get patches if we dance together!"_

And we had. Not only had we gained our dancing patches, but we gained a friendship that has lasted nearly nine years now.

"Hey," I said, returning her smile.

"So, there's a beach bonfire tonight. Fire, sand, boys. Wanna go?" she asked, leaning onto my desk.

"Mid, you know I have gymnastics-"

"It starts at eight!" Midna cut in.

"And my dad is getting home tonight from Termina. I'd like to see him," I finished.

Midna sighed. "Excuses, excuses. Why don't you ever go to big parties? I'm starting to think you're a recluse," she said with a teasing and tone and grin.

"I am not a recluse. Just anti-social," I corrected.

We both laughed, but we were cut off by the sharp rapping noise of Professor Shad's pointer hitting his desk.

"Quiet down now, in your seats! I need to take roll now!" he called. Midna reluctantly left to go sit at her desk, all the way across the room.

Shad began to murmur names to himself, glancing up occasionally to search for empty desks. I felt a small tap on my arm, and the red-haired freckly boy behind, Mido I think, handed me a small folded up piece of paper. I smiled, took it and unfolded the note.

Scrawled across the notebook paper in slightly messy handwriting were the words: _Are you going to the bonfire tonight?_

I turned and saw my friend Tetra looking at me expectantly from a row behind me. Her dark eyes were filled with adventure as they always were, and her skin, tanned from sailing, set off her lemon colored hair that was piled on top of her head.

I turned and wrote back: _No, my dad is getting home today. _I passed it back to Mido, who handed it to a bored looking Roy, who threw it at Tetra. She hissed something at him, and he grinned smugly back at her. Rolling her eyes, she unfolded the note.

Her brow furrowed and she looked up at me. I shrugged, and she bent back down to write a reply. She passed it to Roy, who gave an overly-dramatic sigh, and instead of passing the note to Mido, he threw the note over him and it hit me in the forehead. Him and Tetra both burst out laughing, and I glared at them.

"Tetra, Roy, is everything alright?" Shad asked.

"Absolutely!" Roy laughed.

Shad looked him over skeptically before turning back to his paperwork. I unfolded the note. Tetra had replied: _Come on, Zel. Your dad has to understand that you have to have fun sometimes. Just this once? _I sighed.

My friends don't understand that my father would never allow it.

_"The people you see at parties, Zelda, are the ones who will be working at minimum wage. You are better than that. You have more potential!"_ my father had once said.

I wrote back: _I don't know, Tet. We'll see._

I made sure to throw it so it hit Roy in the face. He stuck his tongue out at me and handed the note to Tetra.

"Alright, all eyes up here. As you know, this is the week before the last week of school." Several catcalls sounded in the room, but Shad silenced them with a look. "These last weeks are always spent covering the topic of Creation, the story of how Hyrule was formed. This is my favorite lesson to teach, and I hope you will enjoy it too," Shad started. "There's just something fascinating about-"

His phrase was cut off by the classroom doors flying open. A boy with tousled straw-colored hair and an arrogant smirk entered the classroom, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. Whispers ran through the room like crazy, and I turned away in disgust.

"Ah, Link. I see you've decided to join us," Shad said dryly. Link smiled.

"Sorry for the interruption. I got lost."

Giggles bubbled through the classroom, but I didn't laugh. I don't find him charming or funny or anything everyone else does. I think he's annoying and nothing but trouble.

Shad's eyebrows rose as Link spoke. "You were lost? As I recall, you were lost yesterday. And the day before that. The day before that, you were fighting a dragon."

The whole class burst out laughing, and even I allowed a small smile. One of Link's friends said,"Busted!"

Yet Link smiled again, unfazed. "Well, Shad, the school is a rather big place. Too many halls. And those dragons are just ferocious. They just pop out at you and-"

Shad cut off Link's spiel and the class's laughter with a wave of his hand. "Enough. No matter the excuse, you were late. You know what to do," Shad said shortly with a curt nod.

Link nodded enthusiastically and bounded over to his chalkboard. It's not actually his, it's used for writing lines, but no one else uses it so we call it Link's Chalkboard. He picked up the chalk and began writing his hundred lines: _I will not be late._ He does this everyday, yet he still hasn't made the slightest attempt to be prompt. The message doesn't seem to stick no matter how many times he has to write it.

Shad ran his fingers through his sandy hair, and turned back to his lesson. This has always been my favorite story. Impa would tell me this story every night, and I'd never grow tired of it. There is always something new and interesting to hear in the story, and there was always new questions I would ask. I would lie in bed until early morning just thinking about the goddesses and their golden power.

"Well, um, let's just jump into it. In the beginning, there was nothing in the world. Just a void blackness with nothing to fill it. The four up in the Sacred Realm had become quite bored at staring down at black nothingness, and they wanted something to do," Shad said.

"They could write lines!" Link piped up from the chalkboard. The whole class laughed, myself included. Even Shad cracked a small smile.

"Quiet, you're being punished. Anyway, the four heavenly goddesses felt their divine existence and great powers were going to waste. They wanted a purpose. So they created land.

"The powerful Din scorched the blackness and created a surface, carving into the riverbeds and canyons, raising mountains out of the rock. Wise Nayru filled Din's dry waterbeds, giving water and air. She laid down laws and reason for the world. The courageous Farore created life, filling the land with forests and creatures that lived off her sister's water. She created life forms for each of her elder sisters; powerful rock people and cunning desert people for Din, beautiful yet wise water dwellers and plentiful humans for Nayru, and she created the carefree immortal Kokiri, the free bird-like Rito, and the cunning Deku for herself.

"Lastly, the youngest goddess Hylia gave her blessing to earth. She created the air for the creatures to survive, as well as creating her own race, the Hylians. She gave all races personality, the will to live, and the crave for adventure.

"Satisfied with their work, the goddesses rested before returning to the Sacred Realm. The four places where the goddesses rested are known as Landings, and the goddesses have been known to visit them occasionally. After they rested and replenished their powers, the four left the world. The three elder goddesses left the world at the same point, creating three pieces of golden power, each piece representing a goddess. Hylia left last, passing through the triangles to fuse them together. The golden power came to be known as the Triforce, and for a long time, people worshipped it and used its power for peaceful purposes.

"Soon, however, people began arguing over who should have control over the divine power. Quarrels broke into fights, and soon a full-scale war broke out, turning brothers against brothers. The goddesses looked down sadly at the war, watching as their creations tore each other apart. They decided the best course of action was to seal away the Triforce.

"The Triforce was locked away, sealed deep into time itself. The goddesses selected six sages to hold the six pieces of the key to the Triforce, and with the golden power gone, peace was restored. Many years later, a Dark King rose to power, thirsting for more. He wanted the Triforce. The King hunted and killed all six sages, obtaining the key. He assaulted the Realm where the Triforce was kept and succeeded in securing the piece of Power. Hylia had swooped down and taken the other two pieces before he did, as it would be disastrous if the whole Triforce fell into the wrong hands.

"As her three older sisters argued about what to do about the King, who had taken control of the land and was terrorizing the people with his demon armies, Hylia formulated a plan. Why not fight fire with fire? She selected two children, a boy and a girl, and bestowed upon them the remaining two pieces of the Triforce, as well as her own magical harp and a sword crafted by heaven. Guided by Hylia's own hand, the children fought against the army of demons and conquered the Dark King, returning the Triforce of Power to its rightful realm.

"The Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny returned their own pieces of the Triforce and sealed away the sword and the harp. The land was once again at peace. The two youths were regarded as heroes, and the goddesses were proud of their Chosen ones. When the two died, the goddesses preserved their spirits to live forever up in the Sacred Realm. It is said that when danger strikes, the goddesses will choose two new heroes destined to save the land once again."

Shad is such a great storyteller. I admire his ability to be so passionate about a subject that he can almost _become_ his subject. That takes a whole lot of dedication to immerse yourself into your studies like that. It truly shows in all his lessons, and especially in his stories.

"Hearing that, you can now receive your final project. This will affect a huge part of your grade, so listen up! You and a partner have to find a way to tell the story of Creation in a new, creative way. The class will all present on the final day of school," Shad told us.

I smiled. While the entire rest of the class dreads these projects and would happily see them off to hell, I enjoy them. My last group was Sheik, Midna and Roy, and that was extremely entertaining.

"The groups will be graded on-"

"I'm done!" Link yelled, throwing his chalk down. Indeed, the chalkboard was filled with the statement _"I will not be late."_

"Yes, you're done. Was it really necessary to interrupt me to announce that? Don't answer that. Go take your seat," Shad sighed. Link slid into his seat, which is unfortunately next to mine.

"The groups will be graded on quality and creativity. Impress me, show me something I've never seen before. I know this class is more than capable of accomplishing that," Shad said.

Sheik, Link's best friend, raised his hand. His strange firey-red eyes were full of an obvious boredom. "Do we get to pick our partners?" he asked.

"Absolutely not! You will be working with your desk partners. This is the only class day that will be dedicated to this project, so I suggest you exchange numbers and meet outside of school."

My heart sank. My partner is Link? The Link who dipped my braid in glue in kindergarten? The Link who would trip me in the mud while playing soccer, and I'd drag him down with me, leaving us wresting in the mud? The Link who can't make it to class in time to save his life and is so annoying it drives me to tears?

I groaned inwardly and turned to look at him. He had a stupid grin on his face, and he wiggled his eyebrows at me. I swear to Din, if I flunk tenth grade because of that boy, he won't live to see his next birthday.

"Howdy partner," he said, slugging me playfully on the arm. I slapped his hand away.

"Are you angry? You seem angry," Link said, reclining in his seat. I continued to studiously ignore him and pulled out my notebook and pencil.

"Don't worry. I'm extremely persistent, and women always come around eventually," he told me, his big blue eyes teasing me.

"Quiet, I can't hear Shad," I whispered.

"Aha! We've made progress! But you seem a little grouchy. You should smile, you have a pretty smile," Link told me.

My face flushed, and I looked to see if he was kidding, but his eyes were full of clear truth. The red on my cheeks deepened.

"Shut your ungodly lopsided mouth!" I hissed. Link started laughing, my exact opposite intent, and Shad glared at us.

"Did either of you hear a word I've said in the past five minutes? Oh, you're all hopeless! Get to work," Shad muttered, picking up a book.

"What was that about my ungodly lopsided mouth? As I recall, I complimented your smile," Link said, still laughing.

"I'm sorry, that was rude," I mumbled.

"Hey, it's fine. It's not as rude as dipping a braid in glue," Link said, his face straight but his eyes smiling.

"Idiot."

"An attractive idiot," he corrected. My blush deepened, and an amused expression spread over his face.

"Are you feverish? I hope not. I can't be your partner if you have a fever," he told me.

I gave a small half-smile, and said before I could stop myself, "Yes, dragon fever. Highly contagious. You know, dragons _are _ferocious."

Link began laughing, a happy sound ringing across the classroom. Several students looked up, and I looked back down at my blank notebook.

"Link Carstairs! Why is it that you cannot focus or be quiet ever in your life?" Shad demanded, slamming his book shut.

Link opened his mouth, and was probably about to earn himself more lines, but I found myself cutting in for some reason.

"It was me, Shad. I made him laugh."

Why did I do that? Why do I care if he gets in trouble? I saw the tension in Link's shoulders release, and he turned and mouthed, "Thank you." Shad narrowed his eyes and stared at me.

"That is highly unlike you, Miss Fairchild. Either way, I had better be amazed by your presentation," he told us in one of those quiet voices that are almost worse than yelling.

I nodded and fiddled with my necklace. I'm sure my face is red. Shad had better not call home! The thought of my father hearing I was disruptive in class... I shuddered. I would be grounded to my room for longer than eternity! Not that that would be much of a punishment. I like my room better than most places anyway.

"Well, what do you think?" Link asked, gesturing towards my empty notebook.

"Well, we could act it out-"

"Boring. Everyone will do that," Link cut me off.

"Okay then. We could paint pictures and-"

"Can't paint. Plus, if I had to watch that, I'd fall asleep."

I glared at him as he reclined in his seat and examined his nails.

"Fine then, Mr. Know-It-All. Let's hear your ideas!" I snapped.

"I think we should tell the story from all different points of view, like all the goddesses and the Hero and the Princess. We could make a book."

I sat up, surprised at this idea. First that it's actually good, second, it sounds like he cares.

"Yeah... A storybook. That's a good idea," I told him. He grinned.

"I have those occasionally."

"Occasionally, like every third blue moon?" I asked.

"Shut up."

"Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Class! I'm going to get something! I'll be right back!" Shad announced, suddenly leaping up from his chair and running out of the room.

Link prepared to spring out of his chair, but Shad stuck his head back into the room.

"Oh, and if I get back and you're out of your seats, it's automatic detention! Keep working!"

Link sank back down in his chair, ignoring Sheik's laughter.

"I swear, that man is out to get me," Link muttered.

"You're right," I agreed. Link snorted and looked at me.

"Wrong answer! You're supposed to reassure me that I'm an angel student and everyone loves me," he complained.

"I don't lie," I said shortly.

"Well! That stings. Why are you such a bitter old maid?" he asked.

"I am _not_-"

"Found it!" Shad burst back into the room, a maniacal grin on his face and a massive box containing assorted objects in his hands.

He plunked the box on his desk and began unloading its contents onto the floor. Golden feathers, an old journal, some photographs, a seashell, a pizza crust. Fiinally, he pulled out an old-looking painting.

"Found it!" he cried again, waving the painting around haphazardly.

"Careful, that looks expensive," I heard Midna mutter.

"This, this is the first painting ever to be painted of the goddesses, and some say that the Princess painted it herself. Here, pass it around the room. Pay close attention to all to all the details, and if you ruin it, so help me Nayru, I'll lock you in the basement!" Shad declared, carefully handing me the old painting.

The class laughed, and Shad returned to his desk, watching me with hawk's eyes to make sure I didn't drop the precious work of art.

Link leaned over to look at the painting with me, and I tried not to think about how close he was next to me. Normally, I'd shove him away, but the painting literally took my breath away.

It showed the four goddesses in all their splendor; without a doubt the most beautiful women I had ever laid eyes on.

Din's gold eyes blazed with confidence, and her long red hair flared out behind her like a wall of fire. Next to her stood Farore, her spring green eyes full of cheer and her deep green hair looking slightly messy in a windswept fashion. Nayru, my favorite goddess, stood with dignified grace, her deep blue eyes full of knowledge and understanding. Her blue hair cascaded like the ocean itself. The Three all held up a golden Triforce. Beneath them, sitting in a cross-legged position was Hylia. She wore a simple white dress, and her blonde hair was arrayed like a halo around her head. She truly looked like a young girl. The goddess held her harp and sword, and her eyes looked like the sky; smiling and twinkling in a mischievous yet knowing way.

I was so touched by the painting; it seemed so real and it was just... powerful. My eyes swept over every brush stroke, every stroke the Princess took, and took in every detail. When I broke out of my reverie, I saw Link staring in a similar fashion.

"Wow," he breathed, handing the painting back to Mido and Colin.

"Yeah," I agreed. "That's a hell of a picture."

Link looked at me. "First, I didn't know you swore. Second, we do not describe the heavenly goddesses' painting as one 'hell of a picture,'" he told me.

I gave a short laugh. "My father says swearing is for the simple-minded," I said.

"If that's the case, I'm dumber than a fence-post. Hell, I'm dumber than Sheik!" Link said. Sheik's head shot up at the sound of his name, and he glared venomously at Link.

I smiled. My father would hate Link. Link is everything my father warns me about, all the energy and lack of interest in studies.

_"**Those** people, Zelda. They think the world belongs to them. in truth, it does not. It belongs to those who work hard, who know what they're doing, who have a purpose,_" he'd told me.

To those who have a purpose. That had bothered me for a while. Doesn't everyone have a purpose? Even if their purpose isn't a great one? In his views, what if I turn out to have no purpose? Or what if my purpose is to become a cashier at a junky beach souvenir shop?

"Earth to Zelda! Goddesses, you sure space out," Link said, waving his hand in front of my face.

"Oh! Sorry. I... Yeah. Well, the book idea is brillliant. But it will require a lot of time and research," I told him.

"Why, think I can't handle it, Miss I-Have-The-Top-Grades-In-The-Whole-School-Cause'-I'm-A-Genius? I know it will. We'll just have to meet a lot outside of school and go to the library. When can you meet?" he asked me.

"Sorry, it's not that I thought you couldn't handle it... You just don't seem..."

"Like the type to care?" he finished quietly. Our eyes met and briefly, I saw behind the carefree, bad-boy wall. Then it was gone, leaving me wondering if I actually saw it in the first place.

I cleared my throat.

"Well, I can meet any day, I guess. Weekends are totally free, and I have gymnastics everyday until seven, so I could just swing by your place after-"

"Never my house! Ever. Please," Link cut in so fast it startled me.

"Oh. Why not? My house is so dark and cold, and my father wouldn't like you..."

"Well you don't like me either, so I guess I'll get used to it," Link sighed. "It just can't be my house, okay? I could come after your gymnastics or on weekends or whenever, but not at my house."

I narrowed my eyes. What is he trying to pull over? Is he hiding something? I scanned his blue eyes for anything, something, but they remained expressionless.

"Fine. I don't have gymnastics tomorrow, so I can meet any time after school," I said.

"Great. How about five?"

"Perfect. I'll give you my number," I said as I tore out a sheet of notebook paper.

"I'll give you mine."

Less than two minutes later, I was holding a piece of paper containing Link Carstairs' cell phone number. It was just now sinking in that I was going to have to dedicate two entire weeks of my life to spending time with him. I'd have to put up with his irritating grins and stupid little quips... I buried my face in my hands. This isn't fair.

"Alright, it is lunch time. You are all dismissed for lunch and prep hour. Get out," Shad shooed us away, not even glancing up from his history novel.

I stood from my desk and quickly went to join my friends. We exited the classroom and bounced down the stairs and into the cafeteria.

"This project is already driving me insane," Midna said, grabbing a tray from the pile and looking at the food options.

"Why? You're paired with Sheik. I thought you'd be happy," Tetra teased. Midna shoved her, causing her to drop her empty tray.

Two eighth graders snickered, and Roy called over, "No rough-housing in the cafeteria!"

We laughed and Tetra bent down to retrieve her tray. "Well _that_ is my partner," Tetra spat, glaring over at Roy with as much venom as she could muster.

"Aw, you don't like being with Roy? I think he's funny," Saria chirped, grabbing an apple juice box. That's Saria, always making the best out of every situation.

"Well your partner is Nabooru, who is nice, not annoying, and isn't constantly telling me that I look like a half-black whore!" Tetra snapped, snatching a sandwich from the counter. I listened quietly, glad nobody had brought up my partner issue. I needed a break from even thinking about Link Carstairs.

"Well that's only half true. You don't look like a half-black whore, just a whore," Midna told her. Tetra whacked her with her banana.

We bought our lunches and went to go sit at our usual table, where Nabooru, Medli, Ilia, Ruto, and Agitha were waiting.

"Hey!" Medli greeted us as we sat down.

Great. With Ilia and Ruto here, Link is bound to be brought into the conversation. Their whole universe revolves around that boy. And frankly, the last person I want to talk about is Link freaking Carsta-

"Zelda! We need to talk, like code red," Ilia said. Right on cue.

"What?" I asked, trying to immerse myself into eating my salad.

"You're partners with Link! Do you know how jealous I am of you right now?" she asked, her bright green eyes flashing.

"No. How jealous?" I asked in a monotone voice, skewering a piece of lettuce on my fork. Midna, Agitha, and Tetra snickered.

"Way jealous! You get to talk to him, like, whenever you want. So I have a favor to ask," Ilia told me, leaning forward slightly.

"You want me to ask if he likes you."

"Exactly!" Ilia cried. "You're a mind-reader, Zel!"

Nabooru rolled her eyes and picked at a pice of pita bread, tearing it into smaller chunks.

"Why are you so obsessed with him, Ilia? He's actually really rude and ungodsly annoying," she said. Amen, sister.

"Link? Rude?" Ruto's voice rose to a shriek.

I cringed.

"Bite your tongue, Boo. Link is the kindest, sweetest, most handsome and funny boy ever," Ruto insisted, a dreamy expression on her face. I almost threw up.

"On what planet? Have you actually met the guy? And as I recall, the first thing he ever said to you was, 'How's it goin', fish-face?'" Nabooru said.

Ruto's blue cheeks turned an off-shade of purple, and Ilia snickered.

"Hey! Who's all going to the bonfire tonight?" Saria asked, shattering the awkward silence that had settled over our table. This launched an entirely new stream of chatter, all about what to wear, what boys would be there and if there was going to be alcohol.

"So are you going or aren't you?" Tetra asked, leaning across the table to look at me. I sighed.

"Oh I don't know. Probably not," I mumbled.

"Come on, I feel like you haven't gone to anything lately," Agitha commented, straightening her butterfly hairclip.

"My father is getting home after being gone for a month! I think that's a valid excuse."

"It's not. The rest of us hate our parents," Midna said with a smirk.

I sighed and mumbled to myself. They just don't get it.

"I'm clearing my tray," I announced, standing up.

"And I'll come with you," a familiar voice said from behind me. Ruto and Ilia's whispers gave away who it was instantly.

"I'm capable of clearing my own tray myself," I told him, turning to look at him. He was smiling at me.

"Of course you're not. Ladies always need a gentleman escort, no matter what the task," Link told me.

"Don't be sexist."

"I'm being heroic. You're the Princess of Destiny waiting for the dashing Hero of Time to assist you in defeating the mighty Dark King!" Link exclaimed.

I snorted as I dumped my tray and gave it to the cafeteria lady. "Mission accomplished," I said sarcastically.

Link smiled. "The world is at peace again."

Our eyes locked accidentally, blue on blue. His eyes are a really pretty color, like the sky right after a sunrise. I looked down and blushed again, damn him.

"Fever acting up again?" he asked teasingly.

"I hope you catch it," I grumbled.

"Oh, you don't mean that. You need your hero to protect you!" Link said, flexing. I could hear Ilia and Ruto's squeals from across the room.

"You are definitely not my hero. Too much of a pain in the ass."

"The Princess of Destiny never said _that _to the Hero."

"Well, if _you're_ going to be the Hero, get used to it."

Link laughed again, and I found myself smiling a bit.

We reached my table, and I saw with a flash of annoyance that all of my friends were giggling and leaning in to hear what was being said. Link swept low in a mock bow and said,

"It has been a pleasure to serve her Highness."

"No, the pleasure is mine. Thank you for your hero-ly services," I replied with a grin.

He smiled and went back to join his friends, and I sat down in my empty chair. There was a moment of silence, the kind there is directly before a shark attack. Then all hell broke loose.

"What is going on there?"

"Did he call you 'your Highness?'"

"I think he likes you!"

"Do you like him?"

"Why does he talk to you? He never talks to me!"

I sat back and groaned. Midna laughed.

"Are we putting poor Zelda in the spotlight?"

"Yes! It's blinding!"

"_Do_ you like him?" she asked.

"No."

"Do you think he likes you?"

"No. He's like that with everyone. You guys know that," I said.

"He doesn't act like that around me," I heard Ilia mutter.

Because Ilia happens to be the second most annoying person in Hyrule, second only to Ruto. But Ruto is a Zora, so yes, Ilia is the most annoying person in Hyrule.

"Hm. I think differently!" Tetra sang, a mischievous smile in her eyes. I rolled my eyes. My friends are annoying.

"Half hour left of prep!" a loud voice boomed through the cafeteria. Oshus, the headmaster, stood at the entryway of the lunch room, looking out at the masses of students. Oshus is Shad's father, and they share amazing intelligences and deep interests in history, particularly Creation.

"Ugh, I'm done," Ilia announced, pushing away from the table. Ruto went with her, and they began a very hushed and frantic conversation. Probably a plan to make my death look like an accident.

I fiddled with my necklace and listed to Tetra tell Saria about her father's new boat, when I noticed a shadow looming over Midna, who was too involved in playing with her sweatshirt hood strings to notice. The shadow bent over and swiftly poked her in the stomach, causing her to scream.

"What the fu- Sheik! You son of a... What do you want?" Midna snapped. Sheik laughed and tugged on Midna's ponytail.

"Chillax. I was going to mosey on down to the library to do some research, if you want to come with. Unless you would rather sit and play with your sweatshirt," he teased.

"Shut up, nerd. Let's go," Midna said, standing up.

They're an odd pair, Midna and Sheik, but somehow they look right. His tan skin with her black and white. His red eyes with her orangey-yellow. His blonde hair against her orange. I smiled to myself and almost let out a shriek when Link popped up right in front of me.

"Hey, earth to princess. We need to do research," he told me.

"Have you ever heard of personal space, Link?" I snapped, shoving him out of my face.

"Nope. Most women would pay a good price to get this opportunity. Perhaps you were dropped as a child," he suggested.

Tetra and Saria giggled and wiggled their fingers at me as I walked away with Link, and I glared at them.

We nodded at Oshus as we passed, and walked down more stairs to the grand library. It's my favorite room in the school, always with a fire blazing in the hearth and smelling like books and cinnamon. The shelves are lined with books, decaying covers, and occasionally a brand new one. We entered the warm room and saw Midna and Sheik, already huddled over a pile of books.

"Hey, loser," Link greeted Sheik.

"Moron," Sheik returned the greeting, not missing a beat. Midna laughed and waved to me. I smiled back.

"Come on, Zelda. Let's find a spot away from that loser and his... lady friend," Link said, grinning at a red Sheik. Midna had turned scarlet as well, and I was laughing because I know Midna has like Sheik for years. Maybe Link knows that Sheik feels the same way.

"Remind me to kick your ass later," Sheik growled.

"Why would I remind you to kick _my_ ass? Either remember yourself, or no ass-kicking for you."

We traveled deeper into the library, where the lights don't work and the really old, practically ancient books are.

"Let's go book hunting," Link said, rubbing his hands together. "I'll look here, and you look there."

I nodded and sat down on the floor to look at the lower shelves. The books are in no particular order at all, and finding books on a particular subject is no easy task. I sifted through titles, searching for any old Creation books.

"Here's one."

I turned and saw Link had climbed up to the top shelf, and he was holding a small brown book. He jumped down from his perch, landing gracefully beside me.

"_The History of Creation_," he read.

"Put it over there. We'll make a pile," I told him.

We only ended up finding five books, which is actually a major accomplishment given our limited time and the lack of organization in the library. We marched back up to Shad's room with our books and sat down to study them. I could feel Ilia's green eyes burning into my back, but I didn't turn around once.

"Alright. You take those three and I'll take the bigger two. That's about fair," I said.

"What if I want the bigger two?"

I glared at him. "Do you have to be so difficult?"

"No, I just like bigger books."

I smacked him with the book I was holding and shoved the two he wanted at him. All he did was laugh. Nothing bothers him, and that bothers me. Why is that? Does he really not give a flying shit what people say about him or do to him? Or does he just not show it? That boy brings up too many questions but not enough answers. And being me, that frustrates me.

"Here, look at this," Link said, pushing the book over to me. He was open to a page dedicated to Hylia.

"If we do a part on Hylia, it says she was very fond of her Chosen and saw them through the whole way. If they had problems, Hylia solved them."

I had never thought too much of the youngest goddess. I thought she simply stood by. But this book told an entirely different tale. It said she was right in the thick of it, coming down as a human to aid her precious Chosen.

"I like that. We could switch from heroes' to goddesses' points of view," I said, giving him his book back.

"That was kind of the intended idea," Link told me.

"Shut up."

I continued to skim through my book, searching for any useful bit of information. So far all I was finding was what we already knew. I don't want the obvious, I want the behind-the-scence details. Link, on the other hand, seemed totally immersed in what he was looking at. I peeked over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse.

"What?" he asked.

"Can I see?"

"I don't know. Can you?" he teased, moving his arm so that I could read the text.

This entire book seemed to be about each individual goddess, what they were thought to be like, and the Sacred Realm and Spirit Realms where they lived and visited. Why did I give him the good books?

"Based on my findings, I can conclude that Din was a bitch, Farore was a happy-go-lucky hippy, Nayru was a cocky know-it-all, kind of like you, and Hylia was the only normal one," Link said.

I ignored the little bit about me being a cocky know-it-all.

"No, Din just thought she was superior to her sisters, and Nayru thought _she_ was superior, so they clashed and Farore was always dragged into the fight and forced to pick sides. Hylia was kind of the peer-mediator. And from what I can tell, Din wanted to take the violent courses of action, Nayru wanted the logical choices, and Farore always went on whims. Hylia was the most human," I said.

Link blinked, then said, "I think you're giving them too much credit."

"You're going to get smited," I warned.

"Nonsense! I will not be smitten! I'm too handsome. It would be a shame for a face like mine to be wiped off the face of the earth," Link proclaimed.

"Really? Because I think you resemble a dead rat, and even that is an insult to rodents."

"That was just plain rude."

"Stick it and read!" I snapped.

Link turned back to his book, muttering something about "stupid girls."

I settled back into a comfortable position and propped the book against the desk. I can finally get my nice quiet reading time, and there's a full- I glanced at the clock - hour left of school.

I flipped to a chapter about the Princess of Destiny, who had always been my childhood role model growing up. I'm pretty sure the entire female population spent the entire first half of their lives running around with cardboard princess crowns and makeshift harps. Well, the whole population except me. My father told me I was being ridiculous.

So I guess it's safer to say that while other girls were running around with a neighbor boy claiming to be the Hero of Time, I was inside learning how to read, add and subtract. The isolation started there, and grows more and more prominent as time goes by.

_"No, Zelda, you can't go to Agitha's end-of-the-year party, you need to be getting a jump-start on next year's lessons." "No Zelda, you can't go to the beach with your friends today. You need to start on that essay that's due next month." "No Zelda, you can't go shopping. That money needs to be saved for your college."_

My grip tightened on the book, and I tried to focus on the text. _The Princess of Destiny was the female Chosen of the goddesses. She possessed the fabled Triforce of Wisdom, and used its power to aid the Hero of Time. During their quest to save Hyrule, a massive demon came forth and nearly succeeded in killing the Hero, but the Princess allowed herself to be captured in order to save the Hero. Some say the two shared a romantic relationship..._

My heart just wasn't in the reading today. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't force myself to concentrate on the letters. The words seemed to get up and dance across the page.

I slammed the book closed and sighed. There's still a good forty-five minutes left in the day. I yawned. Maybe I could just nap. Shad probably won't notice... Sheik gets away with it all the time... I felt my eyelids droop and I laid my head on the desk. Just a few minutes won't hurt me. I hardly sleep at night anyway...

_..._

"ZELDA! WAKE UP!"

I shot straight up, and I heard people giggle. Shad was glaring at me, his expression indicating he was rather pissed off.

"Honestly, what has gotten into you today? You and Mr. Carstairs will both have the honor of cleaning the chalkboards after class," he told me.

"After class? I can't I have gymnastics! I'm so sorry Shad, it's so unlike me, please don't call my father-" I cut myself off.

It's very clear to see by my ramblings that I don't get into trouble often.

"I'm not going to call home, Zelda. You're usually a very good student, and I realize everyone has their days. Just clean the chalkboards, and that will be the end of that," Shad told me kindly. I nodded and tried to ignore Link's stupid little grin.

The bell rang, and where I'd normally be leaving with Midna and everybody else, I sat put in my desk and watched as the crowd filed out of the room. Midna and Tetra laughed, while Saria and Agitha offered sympathetic smiles before exiting. Ilia grinned smugly at me. I sighed and turned to Link.

"Come one, let's hurry this up. I have gymnastics in fifteen minutes," I said, rising from my desk.

"Hey, slow down. Cleaning chalkboards is a fine art you have yet to master," Link told me, walking over to grab an eraser. He tossed it to me, and I fumbled to grasp it.

"You erase, and I'll go get a wet rag. Alright? Sound like a plan? Great." He exited the room, leaving me alone with Shad and the eraser.

Sighing, I started wiping away the words Shad had scrawled up onto the board , taking long smooth brushes with the eraser. Soon, the board was clean and I moved on to Link's chalkboard.

"You're a horrible eraser. Look at all those smudge marks." Link had reentered the room and was tsking at the board, a dripping wet rag in his hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm slightly in a hurry because I don't want a long lecture from my coach about the importance of being on time! Not that you know anything about that," I snapped.

"I'm just messing with you. Relax," Link told me calmly, running his wet towel over the board, erasing the smudges and leaving the board shiny and black.

"It's not funny. What if I don't like being messed with?"

"Maybe you need to stop acting like you have a giant stick up your butt and let life do what life does," Link said.

I heard Shad laugh from behind him. He moved over to clean his chalkboard, and i put the eraser down and grabbed my books. Stick up my butt. Why don't I shove a stick up _his _butt-

"That's good enough. You both can leave," Shad dismissed us.

I grabbed my books and strode to the door, but Link caught up to me.

"Hey, slow down a bit. What if I'd like to walk with you?"

"What if I don't want to be walked with?"

"Everyone needs someone to walk with, whether they want it or not. Plus, what if a bandit jumped out of that class right now, and he had a purple lightsaber. What would you do without me?" he asked.

"I'd call my dragon. He's a lot more efficient, and he doesn't talk near as much," I said.

"You'd take a dragon over me? I'm trying to decide wether or not to be offended."

We stopped by the main door, and I turned to leave. Link reached out and touched my arm, and I stiffened at his touch.

"See you tomorrow, Zelda. I'm sorry you think I'm ungodly annoying."

A small smile played on my lips and I opened the door. Before I left, I turned.

"Bye, Link. I'm sorry you think I'm a bitter old maid."

And I let the door close behind me.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys :) thank you so much for the reviews, even if there were only a couple! They really help and motivate me! Seriously, I was jumping up and down for joy in my kitchen and I'm pretty sure my mom officially thinks I'm crazy! But I've gotten good feedback and now I know how to spell 'whether'... haha. Here's chapter two, and it's all in Link's point of view.**

**~Leila**

**DISCLAIMER: me no own anything but story. (insert more legal stuff here)**

**Edited: 07/23/14**

* * *

><p>Chapter Two (Link)<p>

I watched as she turned on her heel, her blonde hair flying out behind her as she opened the door.

"Bye, Link. I'm sorry you think I'm a bitter old maid."

And then she was gone. I smiled and leaned against the wall. She really is something special, that Zelda Fairchild. How her moods can change instantly; from angry to joking to flustered. How her eyes are almost the perfect color, like the ocean on a clear day.

Her only issue is, well, she _is_ a bitter old maid. She always has been, ever since kindergarten when I first met her. And I'm ninety-nine point nine repeating percent sure that she hates my guts. But she has a good reason to. I'm a jerk to her like I am to everyone else. Because if I didn't act like that, I don't know what I'd be.

"Oy! Link!" a familiar voice shook me from my thoughts.

A little girl with blonde pigtails and blue eyes bounced over to me, clutching her pink notebook in one hand and a red telescope in the other.

"Ahoy, Aryll of the Carstairs variety!" I called, a smile forming on my face again.

She giggled, shifting her telescope to her other hand. "Aye, Link of the annoying variety! How was your day?" she asked, slipping her small hand into mine.

I flicked her head for calling me annoying, then pushed open the door. The cool ocean air felt great on my face.

"Let's see... Today I braved the horrendous torture of writing lines, talked to a bitter old hag, saved a princess in distress, then we were both forced into more torture," I sighed dramatically. "A day in the life when you're a fabulous hero like me!"

Aryll giggled and nudged me a bit. "I'm surprised you didn't fight any dragons today. They usually hang around here."

"They could give you dragon fever. Someone I know caught a nasty case. Darn those dragons!"

I refrained from saying "damn dragons," knowing she frowns upon swearing and always gives me a lecture when I let a word slip. Sometimes Aryll feels like a big sister rather than a little one, the way she's always doting on me and asking if I remembered my lunch money, or if I brushed my teeth that morining. I always tell her to quit it. It's uncomfortable coming from a ten year-old.

"You're ridiculous. Anyway, I was wondering," she said, fidgeting with her blonde pigtail.

"_What_ were you wondering?" I asked, slightly annoyed that she couldn't just finish the statement.

"Could we... Take a walk on the beach? Just you and me? You know, like we used to when we were little."

When we were little. She is _still_ little. I've never been little. I've been grown up from the time Aryll entered this world. I had to be. Who else would take care of her? People would assume my parents. but after Aryll was born, they seemed to always be on edge. Always glancing behind them, laughing nervously, and closing the curtains. "To block the sun out," my mom always assured me. Then, they started leaving. First for hours, then days, then weeks. Once even an entire month. And I was left alone with my infant sister. They were always gone, always gone, always gone until... My breath caught.

"Yeah. I need a walk," I got out, looking down at her. A sunny smile spread across her face.

"Good. And I know just the place!" Aryll proclaimed.

She seems to have every inch of that shore mapped out by memory. She knows where the best place to swim is, the best waters for skipping rocks, and the perfect places to feed seagulls. Sometimes she'll disappear for hours, heading to the beach with nothing but her telescope and that little harp of hers, occasionally bring a piece of bread for the birds.

I never question her walks; I've hidden plenty of my own midnight walks from her. Besides, it's just a walk. There's nothing more innocent than a walk. Except for maybe kittens.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Aryll asked, her blue eyes huge.

"Kittens," I told her. "The really big, puffy kind."

"Liar. Your face was all contorted."

"I do not contort," I snapped.

"If you say so!" she sang, letting go of my hand to skip ahead.

Our townhouse came into view, and the usual feeling of dread formed in the pits of my stomach. It's a nice-looking place on sight, with carefully tended flower boxes and a vibrant red door, but I know that house is probably equal to or greater than hell on earth. Scratch that, it's not probably hell. It _is_ hell.

"Hurry up, Linky-winks!" Aryll taunted, using her nickname for me. I winced.

"Call me that again, and I'll impale your pretty little head on a stick in the front yard," I told her with mock severity.

"Oh, you wouldn't really. I'm too sweet," she giggled, using her puppy dog eyes.

"Keep that up, and I might!" I warned, yanking on her pigtail and digging around my pocket for the house key. My fingers closed around the cold piece of metal, and I jammed the small gold key into the lock and turned it. The door swung open, and immediately the smell of old alcohol and bile burned my nostrils.

"We're home," I called sharply to anyone sober enough to hear it.

I got a loud grunt in reply, telling me they were indeed not sober. I rolled my eyes and set my books on the kitchen table, knocking off a large number of empty gin bottles. They fell to the ground with a loud crash. My aunt and uncle are always drunk, partying, or their favorite pastime, making my life miserable. Sometimes a combination of the three.

"Aryll and I are going for a walk. If you aren't up when we get back, I'll use ice water!" I yelled threateningly up the stairs. I got nothing but silence in return. Fine. I rather enjoy pouring buckets over their ugly heads anyways.

"Let's go. I don't want to be here anymore," I grumbled, throwing open the front door again. Aryll seemed to sense my anger, so she tugged lightly at my shirt.

"Why don't we get some ice cream," she offered softly. "My treat?"

My heart melted. She's so young and oblivious to the world, yet no one knows me better. No one else will handle my moods in such a gentle, caring way. No one else but Aryll, who seems to be able to see right through me.

"Yes on the ice cream. But let's put it on the house," I said, smiling as I pulled a red rupee out of my uncle's wallet.

"You're awful. But, on the other hand, it is going towards a good cause," Aryll said with a wink.

"I'd even venture to say a great cause! Now, after you," I said, mock-bowing and gesturing out the door. Aryll nodded and almost began out the door, but she gasped and froze.

"Wait! I need my harp! Hold this!" she thrust her beloved telescope in my arms and disappeared back inside.

I sighed. She refuses to leave the damn house without her harp and her telescope. It's like she's physically attached to them or something. She insisted on bringing both items to school for a while, and I finally convinced her to leave the harp at home, but she still brings the telescope, treating them both as if they were her life itself.

The telescope was my mother's, and Aryll latched onto it as soon as she knew what it was. The harp is a different story.

When Aryll was about seven, she had been out on one of her little walks like usual, taking her telescope and a pocketful of old crumbs for the birds, promising to be home at five for dinner. When she returned, she still had the telescope, the crumbs were gone, and she was holding a golden harp. My aunt and uncle had instantly bombarded her with questions. "What is that?" "Where did you get it?" "What is it worth?" They just wanted the money value, when Aryll obviously found so much more in it. "A nice lady gave it to me," she had replied simply. "She told me it was mine to protect, and mine to give out."

Well, that had made about zero sense, but Aryll still holds onto that story to this day. A woman in a blue cloak gave it to her on a walk.

"Alright, I'm ready!" Aryll huffed, closing the door behind her.

I waited for her to catch her breath, then handed her the telescope. She balanced them perfectly, if not naturally, with the harp cradled in one arm, and the telescope held in the other.

"You're so high maintenance! Keeping me from my chocolate cone, how _dare _you!" I teased. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Patience is a virtue," she sneered at me.

"How the heck do you even know what 'virtue' means?" I asked.

She scares me sometimes. She's like, ten, and reads the dictionary for fun. When I was ten, I liked to spin around in circles until I got so dizzy I fell over.

"How the heck do you _not_ know what virtue means?"

"I know what it means! It's just a... mature word for a ten year old such as yourself," I said.

"Being mature is a good thing," she said, shaking some loose strands of hair out of her face.

Not always, I thought to myself. Not when it means being forced to raise your sister at the age of six. Not when it means giving up your childhood, hiding emotions, and cutting yourself off from most people. In those cases, maturity is not a good thing. It's actually a very bad thing. I would know.

"We have a very serious question at hand. Which ice cream store do we stop at? Do we go to Lon Lon's, or Romani's?" Aryll mused.

I smiled and fingered my chin like I was having deep thoughts about the question. "Hm, a serious question indeed. How does one decide?"

"Eenie meenie miney moe?" Aryll suggested. We both laughed.

"Let's support our local dairy suppliers. I vote Lon Lon," I said, squinting at the plastic cow that hung over the shop's door like an awning.

"Lon Lon it is. I like their stuff better anyway," Aryll announced happily, skipping over to the door. I pulled it open for her and bowed low, the way I had for Zelda earlier.

"Ladies first."

"Thank you, sir. You're too kind," Aryll said in a drawling accent, like those snooty upper-class ladies that think they're all hot stuff.

Stepping into the Lon Lon Dairy Shop is similar to stepping into a rainbow. The walls are painted a bright orange, and the ceiling is pink. The white floor is the only place your eyes can really rest, except for the fact that it's polished to the point where it blinds you if you look at it too long. A smiling girl with long red hair ran the counter, handing a man his change and a gallon of milk.

"Thank you, sir. Have a great day! I can help who's next!" she called, her eyes sweeping over the small crowd of people.

A couple stepped forward and began their order, and Aryll and I stepped over to look at the ice cream. Even the ice cream is brightly colored, from the bright yellow of the lemon sherbet, to the deep purple of the grape ice cream. Grape ice cream is gross.

"Can I help you two?" the redhead asked, stepping over to the ice cream counter. Her small name tag read "Malon."

"May I please have a scoop of bubblegum ice cream in a sugar cone?" Aryll asked, making sure to use her manners.

Malon smiled and grabbed the cone. "Of course! And for you?" she asked as she began scooping out a large portion of ice cream for Aryll's cone.

"I'll have two scoops of mint."

She nodded, handing Aryll her cone. I tried not to laugh as Aryll struggled to balance out the harp, the telescope, and the ice cream cone.

"Absolutely. Mint is my favorite too," she told me. I nodded, wanting to just get my ice cream and go.

"Here you are. That'll be eight rupees, " she said. I handed her the red and received a yellow and two greens in return.

"Have a great day!" Malon called after us as we exited the store. I sighed in relief, happy I hadn't gone blind from being in that store.

"That was very... orange," Aryll said, licking the sides of her blue and pink ice cream.

"And pink. Don't forget the pink," I told her, biting a chunk out of my own ice cream and cringing as the cold came in contact with my teeth. In hindsight, it would have been smarter not to have not bit it. "Now, lead the way, Captain Aryll."

"Aye-aye, swabbie. Follow me, and then I won't make you walk the plank!" she said, her words barely comprehendible through all the ice cream in her mouth.

I saluted and marched behind her, down the street and onto the main beach where most people go. It was pretty empty, since it's still a little too cold for swimming or anything else fun. The only people there now were a couple of kids flying a kite, and an older couple holding hands and walking.

Aryll ran onto the beach ahead of me, her feet sinking into the soft sand as it filled in between her toes. She giggled and shook some out of her sandals. I really hope she realizes the sand will just get back into her shoes.

I followed, still licking my ice cream cone and shivering slightly as a cool wind blew from the ocean, ruffling my hair and causing Aryll's pigtails to flap all over the place. A couple strands stuck in her ice cream.

"Come on, swabbie! Keep up!" she called, pulling her hair out of her ice cream with the few fingers she had free.

"Maybe you need to slow down and enjoy life, Cap'n. After all, you never know when a dragon could come and tip our boat over," I told her with a suppressed laugh. Aryll giggled a bit.

"Very true, swabbie. A dragon could come. Maybe even a water dragon! Like, one that sprays water!" she chattered excitedly.

"Well how threatening is that? A squirt gun can spray water. I wouldn't feel very threatened if a lizard came up to me and said, 'Fear me or I'll spray you senseless.' Unless I had just gotten a perm. Then that would be a whole different issue," I mused as she laughed.

"There's something wrong with you. But in a good way. A very good way," Aryll told me.

Her ice cream was already gone, and she was left with only the sugar cone. She tossed the cone onto the sand, and almost instantly, seagulls landed and began pecking and fighting for pieces of the sticky cone. The white birds always amuse me. A seagull is about as stupid as you get.

For a while, I even went about calling the less intelligent people in my class 'seagulls,' simply because it amused me and the had no clue what the hell I was talking about. As if to prove my point, we heard a strangled squawking sound, and turned to see one of the birds had gotten its head stuck in the cone. I almost choked and fell over because of how hard I was laughing, and next to me, I saw Aryll's face was turning red.

"Well, you learn something new everyday! Cones are a choking hazard," I said between laughs.

"Apparently!" Aryll agreed, breathing in and out slowly to calm herself.

The bird had run into a rock, and the cone had cracked. Naturally, the bird repeatedly ran into the rock, and when the cone completely cracked off, the stupid creature hit its head on the stone. Farore help those sad little birds.

"Alright, swabbie. Hurry up and finish your cone. We've wasted enough time," Aryll said, suddenly back in serious-pirate-Captain mode.

I nodded, my mouth full of ice cream, and threw my cone onto the beach. The seagulls attacked it like they had Aryll's, and that same bird still dove to get pieces.

"This way! Come on, Link!" Aryll called. I turned and saw she was standing on a rock, in the process of climbing one of the shorter cliffs.

"Careful," I warned, grabbing a rock and hoisting myself after her.

"I'm always careful," she told me, sticking her telescope between her teeth.

"Famous last words, right there. Hey, give me that. You're making me nervous," I said, carefully taking the telescope out of her mouth. She looked over me skeptically, as if to make sure I wasn't going to drop it.

"You drop that, and I'll see to it that you suffer the wrath of the goddesses," she told me, climbing higher still. The seagulls down on the beach grew smaller and smaller.

"Have faith, oh wonderful youth. Big brothers were created for the purpose of carrying their little sister's stuff up cliffs."

"Really? For that exact purpose?" Aryll said, pulling herself up onto the top of the cliff. I nodded and handed her the telescope.

"That, and it's always up to the Big Brothers to protect the little sisters to the end. No matter what," I said, pulling myself up next to her. A strange look had come across Aryll's face. Her eyes were filled with a strange... ancient sadness, a look way beyond one of a ten-year old.

"You mean that? No matter what?" she asked softly.

"Of course I mean that."

"Promise me then," she said, her expression and tone suddenly fierce. "Promise me you'll protect me no matter what."

"Um, I promise?"

Her expression softened. "Good," she said quietly, turning to look out at the ocean. "Good."

I turned to look at the water with her, watching the waves crash against the rock, spraying my face. I wonder what she sees when she looks out at the waters; her expression is so distant and longing, she has to see _something_ I don't. She stared out at the distant waves before turning to face me.

"Come on, swabbie. We're not there yet," she told me, gesturing forward with her telescope.

I smiled and walked behind her, watching the way her favorite flower print dress billowed about her in the wind. Occasioanlly, she'd turn around and smile, beckoning me to keep following.

"Hurry up, Linky! You're way too slow!" she teased.

"I'm not slow. Someone just seems to be in a hurry today," I remarked, walking faster to stand beside her. She put her telescope in her harp-hand, then slid her newly freed hand into mine.

"I just want to show you," she told me, her wide blue eyes full of excitement.

"Show me what, Ary?" I asked. Her blue eyes twinkled.

"Everything."

And she let go of my hand and sprinted ahead again. I rolled my eyes, jogging after her.

"Oy! Just a little bit farther!" Aryll called, peering through her telescope. "You don't mind a long, probably dangerous climb down, do you?" she asked.

"Well, as your sworn body guard, I mind a little bit for _you. _We should find a strap for that harp of yours, it might make things easier."

"Yeah, so I can have it on my back! Good idea!" Aryll exclaimed, clapping her hands together, then quickly stopped before she dropped her things.

"Give me the harp on the way down," I said, holding my hand out.

She shook her head. "You get the telescope. I will carry the harp."

Okie dokie then. I'll take the telescope. She pressed the small red object in my hand, then began fidgeting with her hair ribbons.

I turned the small telescope over in my hand and fingered the small seagulls painted on the side. Our mother had loved the stupid white birds, and any birds for that matter. She used to take me out on the beach and we'd sit for hours, searching the sky for birds._"That rainbow one there, see it? That's a parrot. And those loud ones are seagulls. Can you make a seagull noise?"_ I felt a lump forming in my throat and I quickly swallowed it. I can't help what happened. It wasn't my fault...

"Big Brother? Link? Snap out of it. You're contorting again."

"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. I don't contort," I sighed.

"I'd define your facial features twisting into an unflattering expression as contorting," she told me. "And look!"

I looked over at her and saw she had taken her hair ribbons out and tied them through her harp and around her arms like a backpack. She had a little makeshift carrier.

"Hey, nice! Let me tighten the knots for you. Those will slip," I said, moving closer to her and grabbing ahold of the first knot.

I pushed some of her hair out of the way so I wouldn't tie it in with the ribbon. It was getting longer; that little blonde mop of hers now reached to a few inches past her shoulders.

"You might need a haircut," I told her as I finished reenforcing the first knot. I moved to the second as she replied.

"I'm growing my hair out. _You're_ the one that needs a haircut. It's falling into your eyes," she informed me. I jerked the knot tighter and tied a triple knot.

"What if I like it like that?"

"It looks ridiculous."

"The girls at my school don't think so."

"Ah, I forgot. You need to impress your 'lady admirers'," Aryll said, grinning.

"Weren't you all in a rush to show me whatever?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. I'd rather not have Aryll pestering me about my love life that doesn't actually exist.

I know it could; I've seen the way girls look at me in the halls, and I've heard their whispers and giggles, but I'm waiting. She'll like me eventually. She has to.

"Oh, yeah. Come on down, but watch your step," Aryll warned. I peered over the cliff's edge and whistled.

"Holy mother of the goddesses, that's a long way down. If this is what you've been doing, I'm having some second thoughts about your little walks," I said.

Aryll turned red and muttered to herself, then said, "Just climb down."

I stuck the telescope through one of the belt loops in my jeans and slowly lowered myself onto a narrow ledge. Din, Nayru and Farore that's a long way down.

"If I die, I'm totally coming back to haunt you. And if you die, I'll bring you back from the dead to kill you myself!" I yelled, ignoring her giggles.

I took several deep breaths in and out, and continued to lower myself down the cliff. Aryll seemed to scamper down with relative ease, then again, she's probably done this more than a few times.

I gritted my teeth and lowered myself again, pushing the telescope up so it didn't slide down any farther than it had. What did she have to show me that required struggling down a big ass cliff? I looked down and saw the sandy shore was growing closer already. It only looks, like twenty or so feet down... Maybe, I could jump it... Maybe...

"Don't you dare jump that. I can see that look on your face, Linkon Alexander Carstairs. And there's no way in Hyrule you can make that jump!" Aryll called up to me. Damn her little mind reading skills. And calling me by my full name doesn't make me feel obliged to listen to her.

"I won't jump it." Yet.

I inched myself lower and lower until the drop was roughly ten feet. Ten little feet. There's nothing scary about twenty feet. And I let go. I heard Aryll scream, and the ground rushed towards me. I felt my hand burning... and I landed, executing a perfect forwards roll. I stood and looked into Aryll's huge eyes, the usually cheery blue filled with fear.

"Ta-da!" I said with a smile. The fear and worry in her eyes was instantly replaced with blazing anger, and she grabbed hold of my shirt and yanked me down so that we were eye level with each other.

"_You_ are the most irresponsible, stupid little idiot to walk the face of the earth!" she yelled, causing me to wince. "I know climbing down the cliff is dangerous, but climbing doesn't get you killed! Jumping like a stupid little... Stupid dummy does! Don't do those things!"

"You know, some people would call that courage."

"Well, mister brave man. Courage doesn't do you any good if you're dead," she snapped. Then she threw her arms around my neck. "Seriously, don't scare me like that."

"I won't. I'm sorry," I said, hugging her back.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

The tension in her shoulders released.

"Alright. I'll forgive you. For now," she told me."Next time, use like a parachute or grow wings or something. Even better, don't jump!"

I looked around at the small strip of beach she had led me to. It was nothing special, certainly not what I had been expecting. It had everything normal beaches had, you know, water, rocks, sand, etcetera.

"So... What did you want me to see?" I asked.

"Don't you... feel something? Like there's something special about this place? I feel sort of... at home and relaxed when I come here," Aryll told me, that weird ancient look on her face again.

"I feel safe," I admitted, looking around again. Aryll looked up at me.

"Good."

The kid is seriously starting to mildly freak me out. I watched her closely as she unstrapped her harp. She's still so young and innocent... I don't want her to grow up. I like her just the way she is.

"Give me my telescope," Aryll instructed, sitting down on the sand.

I nodded and sat next to her, giving her the telescope back. The sun was sinking a little lower in the sky, staining the clouds orange. I looked over at Aryll, sitting cross-legged on the sand and clutching her harp and telescope. The image looked familiar, like I had seen it before somewhere. A slight breeze picked up and ruffled her hair, making it look like a frizzy heavenly aura surrounded her head. I smiled to myself.

"You know, you could have the harp and be the Princess of Destiny, and the telescope will be my sword, because we all know I'm the Hero of Time!" I said, swiping the telescope away and raising it above my head. Aryll looked slightly amused for a moment, then grabbed it back.

"I am _not _the Princess. And I wouldn't be so sure of that. You're not quite Hero material," she told me, a twinkle in her eyes.

I picked at the bandage on my left hand, the one I'm forbidden to ever take off or even talk about. _"I swear boy, if that bandage comes off and you start thinking you're something special, I'll beat you senseless and dump your body over the cliffs! Got it?"_ Naturally, that stokes my curiosity, but all that's under there is a stupid birthmark that is kind of shaped like a triangle. Personally, I wish it wasn't there because it burns a lot.

"Uh, I am _so_ Hero material. Who else would be the Hero? Sheik? We all know he's too stupid," I said, nudging Aryll a bit. She used to have a crush on him, much to my amusement.

"Be quiet! You're too annoying to be the Hero!"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's because you're annoying?" Aryll suggested.

I slugged her on the arm lightly. "Shut up."

We just sat there for a moment, watching as the sun dipped lower in the horizon. The sunset was a beautiful crimson. Our mom used to tell me that sunsets were the goddesses' way of telling us we were loved and safe.

And right now, on this beach with Aryll, I do feel very, very safe.

"What time is it?" Aryll asked suddenly, sitting up. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and squinted at the dim screen.

"Uh, like five-thirty. Oh, shi-shoot. We better go," I said standing up quickly, shoving my phone in my back pocket. Aryll stood up too, handing me the telescope.

"Tie this please," she said, handing me the hair ribbons. I quickly tied the knots and looked up at the cliff. "I didn't show you everything today, Link. I don't think you were ready. You'll know when you are, though. You'll find everything yourself," Aryll told me with a small smile.

"What in the name of actual hell are you-"

But Aryll was already scampering up the cliff, giggling as she went. I grabbed a handhold and climbed up after her. The climb up was a hell of a lot easier than the climb down.

"Come on, swabbie we better hurry! The Raging King and Queen of the Devil Seas are waiting!" Aryll yelled as I pulled myself up.

"Yes, I know! I'll suffer their wrath anyway, they seem to enjoy flaunting their power," I huffed, jogging after her. Aryll sighed.

"You know, you don't always have to take my hits for me. I can handle myself," she said quietly.

"I promised to protect you, remember? This includes protection from evil aunts and uncles," I told her fiercely.

"Well who's protecting you?"

"Farore, Hylia, Nayru and Din. Now keep going, we're late already," I said, pushing her along.

"Stop shoving me!"

She scampered down the rocks again, and I jumped, much to her disapproval. We arrived at our house again at nearly six, and the red door didn't look so happy anymore. I took a deep breath, then opened the door, taking Aryll's hand.

"Boy! Get over here right now!" a voice thundered as soon as we stepped foot into the house. I felt the rage build in my stomach, and I slid my shoes off.

"I told you, I don't respond to 'boy.' What's my name?" I asked, knowing I was pushing my uncle's temper.

"LINKON ALEXANDER CARSTAIRS!" he boomed, staggering into the entryway. Aryll squeezed my hand and stepped behind me.

"Where were you two little brats?" he growled, grabbing hold of my shirt. His breath stank of old liquor.

"On a walk. I told you we were going out. Maybe if you weren't hungover, you would have heard us," I snapped, shoving him away from me. I was rewarded with a smack to the head. Aryll's hand grew tighter around mine, and I bit my lip to keep from swearing.

"Maybe if you would obey instructions and not leave the damned house, we wouldn't have this issue, _boy_. Go make us dinner," he said, shoving me towards the kitchen. "And no dinner for you. See how that walk treats you."

And he was up the stairs without another word. I let out a yell of anger and slammed my fist against the wall. My hand was burning again, searing against the bandage. Why does this have to be my life? Why does Aryll have to grow up with this goddessdamned shit? It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair!

"Link," Aryll said softly.

"Don't. I'm fine. I'll bring you food later," I mumbled storming into the kitchen.

She didn't follow. She's probably learned by now to leave me alone when I'm like this. Because I don't want to talk to anyone, not even her.

"Oh, you're home," sneered my aunt. She was in her tattered pink bathrobe and clutching a bottle in her shaking hands.

"Good to see you, too," I muttered, yanking out some pots and pans.

"Are you making dinner? Don't burn it like last night, you little bastard. I don't keep you around for shitty food. And where's your sister?" she asked, her mood changing from mad to ditzy again almost instantly.

My aunt has taken a liking to Aryll and obsesses over her at all times. Unfortunately, she hates me more than she hates running out of gin.

"I don't know. Go look for her. And if it burns, it burns! Live with it!" I snapped. I was smacked across the head again.

"It better not burn!' she hissed, exiting the kitchen.

I balled my hands into fists, then unclenched them again. _Relax, Link. There's nothing you could do. It wasn't your fault._

The social worker's words rang through my mind. He had told me this repeatedly through the entire screwed up process of deciding where we were supposed to stay. He kept telling me that I should be strong for Aryll and stop dwelling on the past.

_What happened, happened. Can you change it? No._

For a while, that social worker had become my source of ventilation. I could talk to him and tell him how I felt. He was good to us. He'd make Aryll laugh with his bizarre collection of masks, and he'd let me play with them too.

"_Why can't I just stay with you?" "Link, you know you are going to live with your aunt and uncle. It's your mother's sister, and they're very excited to have you."_

On that first day, when I stood next to my smiling aunt and uncle and waved goodbye as car pulled away, I thought he might be right. But that night, I knew I was wrong. He was wrong. Everything was wrong and bad and there was nothing I could do.

_There was nothing you could do._

* * *

><p>I pulled the blue covers over Aryll and pushed them closer to her little body. She lay in her mass of pillows and stuffed animals, watching me silently. She still held her telescope, and her harp was laying on the bed covers near her.<p>

"Link?" she finally asked.

"Mm?" I answered, pretending to be totally immersed in smoothing out the wrinkles in her blanket.

"You... Are you...Do you want to talk?" she asked softly.

"Aryll," I sighed. "I'm fine. There's nothing wrong. I promise."

I didn't even sound convincing to myself. Aryll smiled sadly at me and leaned forward to hug me. "I just want you to be happy Link. You need to talk eventually, and when you want to, I'll be here. 'Kay?"

"Yeah. I just need to... cool off for a while. I'll probably go for a walk or something," I mumbled, collapsing on the mound of pillows next to her. The kid has so many pillows and stuffed animals and blankets piled onto her bed, it's a wonder she doesn't suffocate.

"Or something."

Aryll looked at me for a minute before smiling. "Tell me a story, Linky-winks. The ones you used to before..." she trailed off.

I finished mentally for her. Before I started getting beaten regularly. Before I couldn't sleep because nightmares kept me up screaming into the night. Before I wasn't getting enough food.

"Alright. A story." I closed my eyes to think.

"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named... Ariel. Ariel loved the ocean, loved music, and loved her older brother... Lane. Ariel and Lane were always together and always watching out for each other. No matter what happened, they still loved each other more than anything. Then one day, Ariel disappeared. She had been kidnapped by the evil King of Darkness who wanted to marry her for his bride."

"Marry her for his bride? That doesn't make sense!"

"Shut it! Anyway, Lane was determined not to let that happen, because frankly, that's a little gross. So he found the Hero's sword in his basement and used it to bravely fight his way to Ariel. He slayed mighty demons, braved many battles, all while thinking of his sister. Nothing could stop him from getting to his little sister. After all what else are big brothers for?"

"Carrying telescopes down cliffs."

"I said shut up! When the brave Lane reached the mighty King's castle, he felt a little afraid. What if he failed? What if he failed his little sister? He couldn't let that happen. So he marched bravely up to the door, only to find it locked.

"'You need music to open it,' a voice said. Lane turned and saw a beautiful princess... er... Zaria, holding a gold harp. She played a song and the doors swung open. The two bravely marched into the dark castle, ready for whatever came their way. Many monsters attacked Lane and Zaria, but Lane bravely fought them off. Finally, after many hard battles, they arrived in the Dark King's throne room where Ariel was being kept. The Dark King laughed and said, 'Foolish children. Who dares think they can take on the mighty Dark King, the Father of all Evil?' Lane and Zaria felt a little afraid, but when Lane saw Ariel in a cage, his bravery returned.

"'I am. Maybe I'm foolish, but I would die for my sister,' Lane. And with Zaria by his side, Lane began his hardest battle yet. There was blood spilled and near death experiences, but finally with Zaria distracting the Dark King, Lane landed a final blow. A key appeared, and he rushed to free his sister. He pulled her into a big hug. 'I missed you,' he said. 'I missed you to. But why did you save me?' Ariel asked. 'Because I promised,' Lane told her. And he took his sister home, married Zaria, and lived happily ever after the end."

"Who's Zaria?" Aryll giggled.

"No one. I made the name up. The story needed a princess."

Aryll yawned and nestled into her ocean of fluffy animals. "Really? Because I think someone has a -yawn- crush," she said.

"Nonsense. I will forever be a bachelor. Now go to bed," I said, leaning over to turn her lamp off.

"Link, stay with me till I fall asleep," Aryll murmured, closing her eyes.

"I will, I promise. Goodnight, Ariel."

"Night, Lane."

I sat next her, staring out the window at the stars. If I looked closely, I could find Din's Flame, Hylia's Harp, and the Big Dipper. The only one I can find on spot is the Triforce; the three brightest stars in the sky forming a triangle. Some people say those are the three goddesses themselves. Then where's Hylia? If she's not a star, then where is she?

I looked back over at Aryll, and smiled. Her hair was falling into her closed eyes, and she was still clutching her telescope even in her sleep. Her lips were curved into a small smile.

"Night, Aryll. Thanks for helping me. You don't have any idea what you are to me," I whispered, standing up and walking over to the WINDOW.

I opened it up, letting the cold breeze in, and swung my legs over the side of the sill. I groped madly for a foothold, and my feet caught a small stone ledge. Slowly, I lowered myself down slowly, then I let myself fall the rest of the way. I landed on the cobblestones, and shivered, thankful I had brought my sweatshirt.

I started running. I'm not sure where I was going. I could go anywhere. I could run to Termina if I wanted to. Hell, I could run across the ocean. I was just running to get away. Running until I forget that I'm running. Until I'm so tired that I have no choice but to stop.

I ran up the main road and passed the fountain in town square. The shadow of the castle loomed over me like a giant watchman. Keep running, keep running. I started to get closer to the beach. I could hear the ocean waves, and the smell of smoke filled my nostrils. Smoke? I SLOWED my pace. Why would there be smoke unless there's a-

"-fire! Someone throw more logs onto it, it's dying out," I heard someone yell.

Oh yeah. One of those dumb bonfires that I never bother to go to. I'm always invited, I just don't ever feel the need to go. I walked a little closer to the crowd of kids. People where laughing and passing out drinks. A volleyball game was happening over by the cliffs, and a few idiots were swimming. Good idea, guys. Let's go get hypothermia. I rolled my eyes and started to walk away, but someone blocked my way.

"Hey, look who decided to show," Sheik said with a grin. His red eyes danced with the firelight.

"Actually, I was getting ready to make a hasty getaway, but some moron got in my way," I said, smiling.

"That moron thinks you shouldn't be a killjoy and enjoy the party. I mean, come on. You never show up to these!" Sheik said. "Would it really hurt just to hang around for a little bit?"

Well, I need to get my mind off things. I really need to get my mind off things. But I don't like the party environments, it reminds me of my aunt and uncle. And I'm tired and grumpy and-

"Fine. I'll go to your stupid party," I grumbled.

"Hey, lighten up, Francis. Want me to get you a drink?"

I WRINKLED my nose. "Alcohol?"

"Nah, just fruit punch. I think. God knows what people have done to it by now," Sheik mused. "Anywho, I'll get some punch. Stay put," he ordered, disappearing into the crowds.

I sighed. I really don't like these parties. It's not that I don't have friends, I have plenty of those because of my charming and pleasant charisma, but it's just too much like my aunt and uncle, and I make a point of being the complete opposite of what they are. Which is pretty easy, actually. I just have to be likable, not FAT, not ugly, not stupid and not abusive. So far, I think I'm doing a pretty good job.

I SCANNED the crowd for Sheik, wondering what the hell was taking him so long. Honestly, I could get punch in less time than this. It's not like he has to brave a mile long hike coated in honey through a colony of fire ants while playing flaming dodgeball with a group of mutant cannibals-

My gaze stopped and rested on the last person I would have ever expected to be here. That wasn't really them, was it? Yet there they were, all by themselves standing away from the crowd.

The person avoiding the crowds and staying out of the firelight with a scowl on her face was Zelda Fairchild.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, some notes:<strong>

**1. Their houses are all kind of town homes, like they are lined up in Twilight Princess. So think that castle town, only bigger and with a beach!**

**2. I decided Link needed a longer name than just Link. I was thinking Lincoln, but then that would be Linc, so it's Linkon. It sounds better when the uncle is yelling to saw Linkon Alexander rather than Link Alexander. So yeah. He has a full name.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Thanks to whosahassa, chupacabrabeliver18, and Kamil the Awesome for constantly reviewing!**

**Alright, chapter three.**

**~Leila**

**Edited: 07/23/14**

* * *

><p><strong>Blue as night, the ravenstag was flying<br>As you plucked the hide, the beast stood crying,  
>"Was it ever not enough to torment enough?"<br>Cried out the blood in the veins,  
>Of the ravenstag who told me your name.<strong>

**/_The Ravenstag _by Halia Meguid/**

* * *

><p>Chapter Three (?)<p>

The man stood ankle deep in the cool water, surrounded by waterfalls, hidden by a canopy of trees. The air was filled with fireflies, their soft lights flickering on and off in the growing twilight. The spring had an overall mystical feeling, adding to the mystery of why it was so hidden away.

One had to endure countless traps set to snag intruders, and solve many puzzles just to reach the small body of water. A person might think it as all a little ridiculous to do so much to hide one spring, but the man knew what resided here. Only a few more moments, and he would meet the fabled creature face to face.

He looked up at the purpling sky, the purple bleeding across the blue the way watercolor might run across paper. Already, a few white stars were shining in the sky. He was seconds away, seconds away to unlimited knowledge.

Sliding his hand into his pocket, he fingered the small pink box resting in the depths of the pocket. In the box was a small tear-shaped piece of glass with a small hole in the top; a pendant for hanging off a chain. How ironic it was that the shape of the vessel happened to be a tear. The collector was about to become collected.

As the moon began to rise, the pale milky orb overtaking the sky, the rocks around the spring began glowing a strange green. They were responding to the call of his piece of power, and with a smile, the man let the box slip back into his pocket. The glow intensified, and the man shielded his eyes from a blinding flash of light.

When he removed his hand away from his eyes, he could make out a form in the golden light. The creature he saw seemed to made completely out of light, different shades of gold swirling around its monkey-like form. It's emotionless eyes fixed themselves on the man.

"Bearer of Power," the creature said, its voice like music filling the air. "What brings you to my spring?"

The man smiled, pleased to be addressed by such a title. "Faron, great spirit of this spring, I have come to ask you to use your immeasurable wisdom to aid me in my quest," he said, sweeping into a low bow.

Where Faron's voice was light and melodic, the man's voice was deep and radiated power. The spirit looked the man up and down, searching for any clues that would indicate what this 'quest' might be.

"What information do you seek, oh Chosen one of Din?" the spirit asked slowly.

"Do you have any idea of the whereabouts of the Hero of Time?"

"He is closer than you think," Faron replied coolly.

"Could I have an exact location?"

"What is your intent, Bearer of Power?"

"I merely wish to catch a glimpse of the reincarnation of the legendary hero," than man assured the spirit.

"The Hero of Time has always been bound to Hyrule. Naturally, the boy is in Hyrule and not in the other lands you have been searching. And he bears the same name of the original hero, if you happen to know what that is," Faron said.

"Link."

"Correct. The boy's name is Link. Is there anything else you wish to know, Master of Power?"

"If one were to... hypothetically speaking, of course, visit the realm in which the Triforce is kept, how would one achieve that?"

"I am not permitted to disclose that information to anyone, I'm afraid," Faron said, an edge to the spirit's normally flat voice.

"Well, wouldn't you only need a goddess, the six SAGES, and the three Chosen?" the man inquired.

The spirit sat up from it's comfortable perch around a ball of light. It's gaze was now rigid and it's body was tense. "How did you know that?" the spirit demanded.

"I didn't. You just told me," the man said with a smile.

Faron was starting to sense something was not right about the man. Something was wrong, and it needed to find out what.

"What is your name, Chosen One?" it asked.

The man's smile broadened. "You may call me Ganondorf."

Alarm bells went off in the spirit's head. This was bad, time to go, time to go...

"Ganondorf, Bearer of Power, I'm afraid I must go. I need to return to my three divine mistresses..."

"Only three? Din, Nayru and Farore? Where is Hylia?" the man asked. The spirit cursed itself mentally. It should not have said that. The man smiled again.

"Hylia is... _elsewhere_, I presume? Perfect. My plans will run more smoothly than predicted..." Ganondorf said, half to himself.

Faron prepared to leave. The spirit had to warn the goddesses, had to warn it's brethren, had to warn Hylia...

"Oh, but you can't leave yet. Not when you've been so very... helpful. Your services must be rewarded," Ganondorf said, his voice like silk. The spirit turned and prepared to attack, but froze. The man held up his right hand, the hand with the gleaming triangle glowing brightly on it.

"You're not going anywhere."

The last thing the spirit saw was the spring tumbling all around him, the man's hard gold eyes, a small GLASS PENDANT... Then nothing. Faron was gone.

The man smiled and held up the tear shaped glass. It now looked quite beautiful, filled with an apparent swirling gold liquid. He smiled an placed the pendant carefully back inside its box.

The spirit had been most helpful, yes, even more so than it's annoying kin. Ganondorf laughed and put the box back in his pocket. He, Ganondorf, now had in his possession all four light spirits that guarded the world. All four were now in his control, all in his hands.

Well, not quite in _his_ hands, he thought with a smile.

After all, the tag on the box did say:

_To: Zelda._

_From: Papa._


	5. Chapter 4

**Alrighty, chapter four. Again, thanks for the reviews, and Billyblue, kudos to you :) You figured it out. And thanks again to Kamil the Awesome, and I hope you like this chapter better.**

**~Leila**

**Edited: 07/24/14**

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><p>Chapter Four (Zelda)<p>

I sat on the gym floor, laying in a perfect splits. My calves burned familiarly, and I reached over to touch my toes. I could feel a trickle of cool sweat running down my neck, and I was sore all over. It felt great.

"Alright, when you finish your stretches, you can go. See you all the day after tomorrow," my coach, Ashei called to the small class.

The class only consists of six girls, including myself. I pulled myself up, ignoring my protesting muscles, and rolled my shoulders back, trying to ease the dull aching. Gymnastics is always such a draining activity, and my father always asks me why I insist on CONTINUING the sport.

_"It's fun, Papa, besides, I enjoy it." "Hm. Any activity that keeps my daughter away from her studies and hurts her in any way is _not_ fun to me." _My father. He should be home now.

I padded over to the back wall of the gym and slid my tennis shoes back on. Leaving my gymnastics clothes on, I gathered up my SCHOOL BOOKS and clothes and began walking to the door.

"Bye, Zelda!" Ashei called, giving me a friendly wave. I nodded back.

"See you, Ashei."

As soon as I opened the door, a burst of cold wind washed over me instantly. I shivered and began my walk home. Goddesses, it's freezing. How can the kids at that bonfire stand it?

Speaking of the bonfire, I began hearing whoops and hollers echoing up from the beach. I guess the party started early. I can picture my friends there now; Saria huddled up around the fire, telling ghost stories. Agitha and Nabooru dominating at beach volleyball. Ilia flirting, and Tetra daring Midna to go skinny-dipping with her.

I sighed and blew a strand of hair that had slipped out of my ponytail out of my face. I tell myself that it's bad, the partying lifestyle, but deep down I wonder if I actually feel left out. What if it was me diving into the sand to save the volleyball, or laughing with friends by the glowing fire?

I'd like to blame my father, but I realize that I probably could make more of an effort to go. Another ear-splitting shriek cut through the silence of night, and I sighed again. I wonder how long it will take for the castle guards to go break up the party. If I'm lucky, soon.

I turned a left onto my street and approached my house. I jogged up the marble steps and grabbed the door handle. My father is finally home! After a month and a half in Termina, he's finally returned.

I twisted the gold handle, only to find it locked. What? I jiggled it again with the same result. Maybe he locked it when he came in. He has always been overly-cautious.

I shifted more stuff into my other arm and began digging the pocket of the jeans I carried. Producing a key, I jammed it into the lock and twisted. The door swung open slowly.

"Hello? Papa?" I called, stepping into the house and kicking my shoes off.

My voice echoed through the house. Frowning, I set my books on their usual table by the door and closed the door behind me. "Papa?"

I walked into the kitchen with my arms full of clothes. He isn't trying to scare me, is he? Unlikely. My father has never been the joking type.

Which leads me to one conclusion: he isn't home. He isn't home. Not unless some magic pink aliens from some other damn planet beamed him up onto their space ship.

I let out a frustrated groan and dashed up the freezing cold stairs. He said he'd be home! He promised! "_You'll be home next month, right?" "Right." "Promise? Promise you won't be late like last time?" "I promise, my little princess."_

I slammed the door to my room and threw the clothes on the ground, letting them join the ever-growing ocean of clothes on my floor. Flinging myself onto my unmade bed, I closed my eyes and grabbed my necklace._ He's late, Zelda_, I told myself. _Just late_. Well, late could mean three weeks late! He promised, godsdammit!

I opened my eyes and sat up, grabbing the picture that rested on my nightstand. The picture is of my father and I several years ago. I'm not even sure who took it; it's a little grainy and slightly off-colored, but it's absolutely perfect.

The picture was taken out on the beach, and my father is holding me above him, swinging me around in one of the airplane rides I used to love. My blonde hair was flying everywhere, catching in the sun, and I was laughing. Papa was laughing too, his dark skin wet from the ocean and his gold eyes smiling.

We don't look alike; my father and I. He tells me I'm fortunate I inherited my mother's beauty. But no matter how little we look alike, looking at the picture, you can tell we're family. The way he looks up at me, and the way I smile down at him. It's like a family should be.

I set the picture back down gently. Reminiscing on the past isn't going to solve the present. I'm all grown up now. I don't need people to give me shoulder rides anymore. I'm a big girl, whether I like it or not.

I pulled out the ribbon that was holding my hair up and shook my head, letting my hair fall around my neck. I just want a shower now. A nice, long, hot shower. I peeled off my sweaty tank-top and shorts, throwing them on the ground with all my other clothes. Stomping into my bathroom, I threw back the shower curtain and turned the water on, as hot as it would go.

Where other people might go drink their problems away, I shower mine away. There's just something comforting about the hot water spilling over my shoulders that clears my mind. I stepped into the shower, wincing as the scalding water first came in touch with my skin, then smiling and letting the water stream through my hair.

I needed to get my mind off my father. He'll be home eventually. I can't control when he arrives. I tried thinking about other things. School... traced back to Link. The beach... traces to the ocean... traces to Link's eyes... What? I mentally slapped myself for thinking that. His eyes aren't even like the ocean, more like the morning sky... _Oh, Zelda. Shut up!_

I grabbed my puffy sponge thing and the bottle of pink body wash. Obviously thinking about other things wasn't going in a positive direction either. It's not that I _like_ him or anything else repulsive like that, it's just Link isn't the most forgettable person. He's too loud and obnoxious to push out of your mind.

I massaged myself with the puffy thing, creating a thick lather of soap on my skin. If I'm lucky, my soreness and my tired aching will wash away with the bubbles, but unfortunately that never happens. The sore-and-tired bit seems to be an unpleasant side-affect of gymnastics.

Once, I had stopped at a local health store on the way home from one of my particularly bad days. I entered, hoping to find something to stop my horrible pains. They gave me something they called a "stamina potion," and I spent nearly all of my babysitting money to buy a small bottle.

The taste had been strange; sharp and bitter on the first swallow, then pleasantly rich and earthy for the last bit. My tiredness instantly vanished, and I felt revived and ready to fight a dragon if necessary.

When my father had asked me why I was so perky, I had excitedly told him all about the potion. _"Zelda!"_ he'd exclaimed, _"Never trust those people! They could be giving you drugs, or poison, or anything, and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between those and their potions. Never drink those again."_

I often think about just going and buying one without telling my father, but I always decide against it. He could be right, I guess. But by Nayru, I'd sure love a stamina potion now. Maybe even a lit tie bit of gin with it.

I put the puffy thing down and stepped back into the water, watching as the soap ran down my body in rivulets and disappeared down the drain. If only all my issues would just wash down the drain and disappear.

Like Link. If he would just fall down a drainpipe, life would be infinitely better. Sure, class would be less entertaining, but in the long run it'd be all better.

I picked up my bottle of shampoo, poured a bunch into my hands and began rubbing the soap into my hair. Closing my eyes to prevent soap from spilling into them, I began humming tunelessly, a habit I've picked up over the years of being alone.

Anything is better than silence.

Opening my eyes, I moved under the hot stream of water to wash the suds out of my hair. For once, I've had enough shower. I want out.

After every single little bubble was out of my hair and gone down the drain, I shut the water off and stepped out of the comforting shower and into the frigid air.

Shivering, I grabbed my towel and wrapped myself inside. For a second, I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. My hair turned a dark brown in the water, and my eyes were big and round like a child's. I did look like a child, all wrapped up in my towel like a blanket.

Stepping out of my bathroom, I walked to my dresser and dug around in a drawer until I produced a pair of black shorts and a long sleeved purple shirt. Nothing fancy, just comforting. I pulled them on, then bushed through my long hair.

"_Did you know princesses have to brush their hair a hundred times so it's shiny? My mom told me that," Tetra bragged to us. "I brushed my hair a hundred times today, and I'm gonna be a Pirate Princess!"  
><em>_"I want to be a Princess! A Bug Princess!" Agitha exclaimed.  
>"I'll be the Nighttime Princess! I'll rule like the moon and stars and stuff. What about you, Zelda? Aren't you going to be a Princess?" Midna asked.<br>__"Well, I'm going to be the Princess of Hyrule!"  
><em>_"Yeah, and together, we're the four Princesses!"_

I laughed and CONTINUED to run the brush through my hair. Ninety-eight, ninety-nine... One hundred. I set the brush down and pushed aside a jewelry box to see the picture resting against my mirror. Standing in Tetra's living room were the four Princesses, smiling toothy smiles with paper crowns and braided hair.

The PIRATE Princess stuck her tongue out at the camera, while the Bug Princess hugged the Nighttime Princess, secretly giving her 'bunny ears.' The Princess of Hyrule stood slightly off to the side, her smile small and without teeth. I smiled at the picture. When did those days disappear? When did the four Princesses grow up to become young women? I laughed and set the picture out on my desk so I could look at it later.

I drew my shiny princess hair up into a bun, fastening it into place with an elastic. My stomach growled, and my thoughts wandered to the cookies I had baked with my ample free time. Yanking on some slipper boots, I opened my door and started clomping down the stairs, when I froze.

There was a light glowing from the kitchen. I swear I left them all off... Unless...

"Is that my Zelda I hear?"

My heart swelled and a huge smile exploded on my face.

"Papa!" I called, running down the stairs to meet him.

He swept me into a big hug which I gladly returned. His eyes glowed with pride, happiness, and something else I couldn't define. He smiled down at me, the ends of his red hair glowing in the lights.

"And how has my lovely daughter fared all this time? I do believe you've grown," he said, looking me up and down. I smiled.

"I've been well, Papa," I told him, neglecting to tell him about my constant loneliness and extreme boredom.

"And school has been going well, I presume?"

"Yeah, it's been alright. We're doing a Creation project right now, and I'm partnered with the most annoying bigot in school," I said.

"And who's that?" he asked, opening the refrigerator to check its contents. It was full; I stocked it yesterday for his return.

"Oh, this kid Link."

He froze, his grip tightening on the fridge handle. Something about the name set him off... Why?

"Who is this Link boy?" he asked softly, still staring straight into the fridge, making his expression unreadable.

"He's my desk partner. He constantly gets into trouble and bugs me all the time," I said, still a little wary.

"Do you know where he lives?" my father asked, whirling around to face me.

"Um... No. I don't," I lied. I knew where Link lived, it was common neighborhood information.

We'd always meet on his front steps to play 'ghosts in the graveyard', or tag when we were in second grade. But I didn't see this ending good. My father probably wants to tell him off for distracting me, and that is slightly embarassing.

"Hm. Tell him to shape up," my father said, regaining his composure. There was still something lingering in his eyes... He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I have something for you. I'm guessing you know what it is," he told me with a smile, pushing a small pink box towards me.

I smiled and unconsciously grabbed my necklace. Papa always gets something for me when he's out traveling.

When I was younger, it was a doll or a new dress, but when I was ten, he bought me a necklace from a small shop in Kakariko, to "replace my old one." I refused to give up my old necklace. I don't fight my father often, but I fought long and hard for the necklace.

As a result, the next time he traveled, which was to Guerdo desert, he didn't bring me a necklace, but a small, hand-painted bead portraying the sun. "To hang off your necklace," he'd said. Now I have an assortment of things hanging around the gold Triforce.

The Guerdo bead, a beautiful Zora scale no bigger than my pinky, a minuscule clock from Termina, a Goron Ruby, a Rito feather, a painted green leaf-shaped piece of wood from Ordon, and the half a heart friendship charm from Midna; my half reading "Be Fri." She has the other half hanging off a bracelet, the "St Ends" to my "Be Fri."

I smiled and opened the pink box carefully. Resting in a bed of pink TISSUE PAPER was a small, teardrop shaped piece of glass filled with a swirling, sparkling gold substance. I gently lifted up the delicate piece of glass and looked up at my father, a smile on my face.

"It's beautiful, Papa!"

He smiled. "I saw it and was reminded of you."

I laughed and threw my arms around his neck.

"I love you," I whispered. There was a slight pause.

"I love you too, Zelda, but..."

"Wait, I'll put it on now," I said excitedly, unclasping my necklace. I threaded the teardrop onto the chain, and it slid down and landed next to the Zora scale. While I replaced the necklace on its usual spot around my neck, my father spoke again.

"Zelda, I need to tell you something." There was something dark in his tone that let me know this was not good news.

"Yes?" I asked tentatively, tugging on the newly acquired teardrop.

"I... you know I love you, little princess, and I'd do anything to stay with you, but-"

"You're leaving again, aren't you." It didn't come out as a question, just a flat statement.

"...Yes, Zelda. I'm leaving again. I need to collaborate with some reps out in Guerdo, and I'd like to skip out, but I can't. I know you can handle it, you're all grown up. And I'll-"

"It's not that I can't handle it, _Father_, it's just you're leaving AGAIN! Right after you got back! And you'll be gone for my birthday, my _seventeenth_ birthday, mind you, and you're missing the Goddess Festival and-" I broke off, staring angrily into his eyes.

"Zelda, I'll send you a present-"

"That's not my point!" I cried. "You don't get it, do you? I- you- I'm going upstairs. Don't follow me," I snapped, storming out of the kitchen.

He simply stood there, watching me sadly. _He's supposed to follow me_, I thought angrily as I marched up the stairs. _Doesn't he know that when a teenager says, "don't follow me," it means follow me_?

He doesn't get anything! I made a point of slamming my door as loudly as I could. Collapsing on my WINDOW seat, I stared moodily out the window. He's leaving again. Right after he got back. He'll be gone for the biggest week of the year, the Goddess Festival. He'll miss my birthday. My seventeenth birthday, where I turn the same age as the Hero and the Princess and become a legal adult. He _knows_ he's missing these things, and the only compensation he can give me is "I'll send you a present?" What the hell! I don't want a present, I want him to be home!

I leaned my head against the window, listening for any noises from the outside. I heard faint yells from the bonfire, and something tugged in the back of my mind. I don't have to stop myself. I can just go. And my father will hate it, which makes it all the better...

Sliding off my slippers, I hastily tied knots in an old pair of black tennis shoes. I stood on my window seat and puled up the safety latch on the window. I opened the window with ease. A cold wind blew into my room, making me shiver. I looked down at the ground; two stories below me. I turned back, looking at my door. I can't do this! It's crazy!

A soft knock sounded at my door.

"Zelda? Can we talk?"

My defiance came back, and I looked out the window again. I can do it. And no, I can't talk. With that, I slid myself out my window, slowly lowering myself to the first story window ledge. Releasing a breath, I jumped from the lower window and landed on the street.

Gods, I feel like a rebel. I turned to look up at my window. A large part of me was screaming, _Go back! Turn around NOW!_

However, there was a smaller but louder voice saying, _Take the chance. After all, what could happen? _I could get grounded to my room? Too bad there'll be no one to enforce that.

With a smile I started jogging down the road towards the beach. The wind blew again, making me wish I had worn something besides shorts. Well, it's not like I planned to go to this party...

I turned a left onto main street and found myself facing the party. People milled around in crowds, and in the center of it all was the giant bonfire. I gulped and slowly walked over to the massive social event. Maybe I should have listened to the majority of the voices in my head...

I stayed on the edges of the crowd, scanning the crowd in an attempt to find my friends. Oddly enough, I couldn't see any of them.

Leaning against an old tree, I continued to search the party. A couple sat in one of the more secluded branches, locked in a passionate embrace.

I tuned away and focused on the fire. The tall orange flames licked the sky, and occasionally someone would throw a log onto the blaze, sending sparks flying into the air. Directly behind the fire, off in the distance was the mighty Hyrule castle.

Our current ruler is King Matthew, only twenty-three years old. He's had a hard life. His mother died after having the second Princess, and his father died a couple years later from some illness. He had nothing but his two little sisters left, when both of them disappeared. Presumed dead. There was Princess Sissy, wait no, Syrella, and Princess... what was the younger one's name? My brow furrowed in concentration as I tried to remember. Matthew, Syrella, and...

"Zelda! Are you constipated? Your face is contorted."

I almost let out a yell at the sudden voice, but I caught myself and glared at the speaker.

"Who- oh. It's you. I could have guessed," I said dryly, glaring at Link and his amused grin.

"Ohhh, that probably wasn't the best way to start a conversation. Here, I'll try again." I merely blinked as he walked over towards the fire, then turned back and started walking over to me again, a huge fake smile plastered on his face.

"Oh, hi Zelda! Didn't see you there! It's me, Link, your attractive desk partner, you know, from school? Fancy seeing you here, huh? Come here often? Of course you don't! Nice weather we're having, huh? Golly gee, this party is swingin'! It's like off the wall! I mean-" he doubled over laughing in the middle of his spiel, and I suppressed a smile and the urge to hit him. What a moron.

"You're hopeless! Goddesses help you make it past your teen years!" I said, rolling my eyes skyward.

"I do plan on making it past my teens. But not past my twenties. That's pushing it," he told me seriously. "Hey, your hair is wet."

"Yeah. I ran into a water dragon after I snuck out of my room to be here," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Link laughed.

"Really? Damn water dragons. You seem to like dragons, don't you? Or maybe they like you. Unfortunately for me, the dragons aren't too fond of me," he commented cheerfully.

"Gee, I wonder why?"

"So do I! After all, I am delightfully charming."

"And extremely self-centered," I remarked.

"I prefer to look at it as confident. People like confidence," he told me.

"Well, I think it's annoying."

"So you're saying you're not people? What are you then, a shrew?" he asked, squinting at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't you have someone else to bother?" I asked him, crossing my arms.

"Nah. I don't usually come to these, and I'd like to keep on the down-low," he said, leaning on the tree trunk next to me.

"Really? You don't come here? Wow. You seem like a partier," I told him.

"I hate it," he said bitterly. "And you're not really the type to be here anyway, so what do you know about who comes here?"

I opened my mouth and then closed it quickly. I was only making an assumption, he didn't have to try to bite my head off.

"I'm sorry, I was just saying you seemed like it. No need to get defensive."

"I know. I'm just a defensive guy. That's how I roll," he said, turning to examine the tree. "Hey, this is a good climbing tree. Besides the people sucking face up in those branches, it's perfect," he commented, wrapping his hands around a knot in the trunk and hoisting himself up. He turned to face me. "You coming?"

"I don't climb trees," I said flatly.

He stopped and turned to look at me. "You what? What do you mean? Climbing trees is part of _life!"_ he exclaimed jumping down in front of me.

"I never have time, and it seems stupid," I said, glancing up at the shady branches.

"Bite your tongue! Climbing trees is not stupid! How do you know, you've never tried! Goddesses, you make a lot of assumptions. Can't you just try it?" he asked, extending a hand to me. I pushed his hand out of the way.

"Fine. but I don't want your help," I said, grabbing ahold of the knot in the trunk. Link smirked.

"The Princess _always _needs help from the Hero. Count on it!" he proclaimed, climbing up behind me.

I rolled my eyes and continued to pull myself slowly up the tree. I didn't like his whole 'Hero and Princess' thing.

Link passed me and began taunting me from the upper branches. He shouted constructive things like, "Hey, my grandma is faster than you!" or, "I'm not getting any younger, Highness!" I responded by muttering swear words in his general direction and continuing to climb the tree.

I began nearing the treetop, where he was perched and stretching out lazily, checking an imaginary watch. He's so funny.

I reached up for the next branch, but found it wet and my hand slipped. I screamed as I started falling... But something shot out and wrapped around my hand. Link was looking down at me, blue eyes full of genuine concern.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded, fumbling to find a foothold again. I gripped his hand the rest of the way up until I was on the same branch as him.

"Th-thanks. Climbing trees is slightly dangerous," I managed, trying to steady my racing heart.

Goddesses, I can do countless flips and cartwheels on a seven-inch wide balance beam, but I can't climb a tree? Maybe I'll be the one to die young and not Link. He nodded, and I saw he was staring at his hand, which was still clutching mine. I flushed and pulled my hand back.

"It's dangerous for the special people," he said, tearing his gaze away from me. "Now, look at the view." He pushed aside the canopy of leaves with his arm and gestured outward. In the distance, the shadow of the castle was illuminated by the full moon, and stars twinkled in the background.

"Wow," I said, truly impressed. He grinned.

"That's only half the charm. You always have to look from both sides," he explained, shifting so he was facing the other way. Beyond this curtain of leaves was the ocean, glittering and smooth under the indigo sky. It almost was like glass; reflecting the moonlight. I wonder if the goddesses ever look at their reflections on the ocean, like a massive mirror.

"Still think climbing trees is stupid? Because it's not. It's climbing, sightseeing, and relaxing all rolled into one. Three of my favorite things," Link said, reclining against a branch.

"I admit. You were right," I said, leaning on the branch opposite from him so I could see him.

"What did you say? Did you just say _I_ was right? Can I get that in writing please?" he teased.

"Oh shut up. I'm not that stuck up," I told him, gazing out at the beach.

"Well, you act like it."

"Well... I... Oh, I hate you."

His eyes widened in mock horror. "You can't mean that! Everyone loves me! Except for you, Shad, Nabooru, my aunt, my uncle, the guy that delivers our mail... he DOES look gay in that jumpsuit... Okay, maybe more people hate me than I would like. That means I'm less likable than normal, which means I need to constantly be around you to make you like me," he said, scooting forward to get closer to me. I laughed and shoved him away.

"Get away!"

"Why? Is this uncomfortable?" he asked, leaning in so our faces were inches apart. I stared dumbly at him. In the moonlight, his normally stupid grin looked almost charming, and his straw colored hair shone sliver. His eyes were blue and teasing, daring me to move closer.

"I..."

He raised his eyebrows at me, waiting for me to complete my statement.

"I... uh... Get away! Din, Nayru, and Farore you have NO respect for personal space!" I snapped pushing him back. He teetered a minute before regaining his balance and smiling at me.

"Don't shove me off the tree! Think about how awful you'd feel when they'd take my broken body to the hospital, and I'd almost die of stage fifty-seven concussion..."

"There's no such thing as a stage fifty-seven concussion," I told him.

"Well, how else are you supposed to measure concussions? Ooo, or what if I broke my neck and became paralyzed..."

"Please, stop! That would be an awful thing to happen to anyone!" I said, grimacing.

"Dear goddesses, I believe you just felt 'compassion'."

"I'm a very compassionate person, just not to you."

"Still mad about me always winning soccer? And winning tag, and hide and seek, and swimming races, and running races..." he listed, counting on his fingers.

"You did not always win! I mean, not that I care, but I totally won the running races and hide and seek, and a few soccer games," I said indignantly. He laughed, and I smiled a bit.

It was really fun to be a little kid, running free with no responsibilities. Well, I could run free _after _I did my two hours of study time. So limited freedom, but it was still fun. I began to be aware of the tapering crowd and dying fire on the beach.

"What time is it?" I asked Link. He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"Almost midnight. We should probably head home. Mind if I walk with you? Your place is on the way to mine," he said, shoving his phone back into his pocket. I nodded and started climbing back down the tree. Oh Nayru, down is worse than up.

"Well, midnight isn't horribly late. For me, it's the start of my night," I said, mainly just to keep up chatter to distract me from climbing.

"You're an insomniac too, huh?"

"You don't sleep either?" I asked. I have more in common with this boy than I thought possible.

"Oh yeah. I have nightmares all the time, and it just became a habit to only get like three or four hours of sleep," Link replied.

"Same! I have nightmares, or I just can't sleep, and I take walks, or I shower, or I read... Anything but sleep. Night is just more fascinating than day," I said, relieved to find my feet touching sandy ground and not rough tree bark.

"Exactly! Wow, if I knew you didn't sleep either, I would have roof-hopped over to see you," he said. I stared at him blankly.

"Roof-hop?"

"You don't do that? That's how I get to Sheik's house! You just climb up onto the roof and jump until you get where you're going. Sometimes I lay on the roof and look at the constellations when I can't sleep," he told me as we started walking down the main road.

"Sounds a little... Dangerous."

"About as dangerous as climbing a tree."

"I've proved not to be very good at that."

"Don't be a baby. You do flips and stuff all the time off the high bars in gymnastics, right? You have more of a chance of falling off of those than you do falling off a roof," he told me.

"Maybe I am a baby. Or you're a dumbass and I actually have common sense," I sighed.

"Probably the second one, but seriously, if you can't sleep, come to my house and knock on the front left window. I'll be awake," he promised. I smiled and nodded.

"Fine. We can be psycho insomniacs together," I said.

"Sounds like a plan."

We walked in silence for a moment, the only noises being the faint sounds of the ocean and a few owl calls. There's a big owl that nests behind our house, and I listen to him every night. His hoots are almost like a lullaby, only they don't put me to sleep. They're just another distraction to stay awake. My house came into view, and we stopped in front of my front door.

"Well, uh, thanks for walking me home," I said, staring down at my old scuffed-up tennis shoes.

"Anytime. After all, what else are heroes for?" he asked, smiling. I returned his smile with a genuine one, then turned to climb into my window.

"Goodnight, Zelda. And I just wanted to say, you have pretty eyes."

I stopped, stunned and turned to look at him, but he was already running down the street, a fleeting shadow in the night. I sighed and started the climb up. Only I climbed past my open window and up onto the roof.

A cool breeze blew my hair, and I laid down an the cold stone of the roof and closed my eyes. Why is Link so confusing? Is "you have pretty eyes" a code for something, or did he actually mean it? He can't mean it. He was probably making fun of me in some weird boyish way. Yeah, that's it.

I stretched upwards a bit, yawning as I did so. The sound of waves really is comforting at night. Where others are put to sleep by lullabies, or by the radio, or even by street noises, there is no better sound to fall asleep to than the ocean. It's because it's constant, and you can always count on it to be the same every night.

The same water beating on the same shore. My eyelids began to droop._No Zelda, you can't fall asleep, you're on the roof!_ I screamed at myself. But the rhythm of the waves and the stillness of night had other plans, and I soon found myself slipping into sleep's soft grasp.

_I was standing in a castle tower, overlooking a massive bonfire. Wait, no, the town _was_ the bonfire, lit ablaze by some unknown source. I stood helplessly, watching the town burn, when I heard a low chuckle behind me.  
><em>

_"How does it feel, Princess? How does it feel to watch Hyrule burn when there is nothing you can do about it?" a voice asked.  
><em>

_I turned and saw the bottom half of a man, his face hidden by shadows.  
><em>

_"Ah, yes. That oh-so-sad feeling of helplessness. It's almost like Fate. No matter how you may want to, you cannot change your destiny. You're powerless in Fate's hands," he said sadly.  
><em>

_"Who are you?" I snarled, backing away so that I was against the windowsill. He laughed again, another dark chuckle.  
><em>

_"No need to be hostile. We are not strangers," he laughed.  
><em>

_I backed up farther still, so that I was sitting on the sill and partially leaning out the WINDOW. The flames rose higher still, tainting the blood red sky with their smoke. I looked down, looking for any possible way of escape, when another voice rose to my ears.  
><em>

_"Zelda! Down here!" Link was standing in the middle of the flames looking up at me. There was a look of determination on his face, and he appeared to be unaffected by the raging fire.  
><em>

_"I see your Hero calls," the man said, a hint of amusement in his tone. I glared over at him, then looked back down at Link.  
><em>

_"Zelda! Jump! I'll catch you, I promise!" he yelled. I looked back over at the man, who was slowly advancing on me.  
><em>

_"I'd advise you not to jump, Princess. I trust you to make the wise choice here!" he yelled.  
><em>

_"Zelda! Hurry!" Link yelled. I looked from him to the man, then back to him... And I jumped. My right hand burned and flashed a gold light, and Link's face drew nearer; golden in the firery light._

_The man stuck his head out of the tower window and yelled after me. __"You can run, Princess! You can run, but remember you cannot escape destiny! We will meet again, and next time, your Hero will not be there to save you!"_

_He started laughing, a horrible raspy laugh that echoed all around me._

_The ground drew nearer and nearer... and I could hear Link calling, "Trust me, Zelda! I will catch you!"  
><em>

_The ground rushed closer and closer, I closed my eyes and..._

My eyes snapped open, and I sat up, shivering. My back was stiff and my head hurt from lying on the hard roof. Still shaking from the cold, I lowered myself into my window. I closed the open window and sank onto the window seat.

What was that about? The dream felt so real... So vivid...

I was still shaking even though I was out of the cold. I kicked my shoes of and crawled under the many quilts piled onto my bed, wrapping myself in a cocoon. I was still in my clothes, but I didn't care. As long as I stopped shaking... As long as I could calm down...

For the first time in my life, I actually wanted to go to sleep. I wanted to escape into a bland dreamless sleep where nothing happens and I can just rest. No more begging Impa to stay up later, I wanted to go to sleep earlier.

I nestled deeper into my covers and squeezed my eyes shut. All I want is to sleep. Not dream, not rest, just sleep. Just escape, just be away for a few hours. Just be away from being Zelda for a few hours.

* * *

><p><strong>I actually like this chapter! I do, and I worked hard on it! I couldn't figure out what those puffy shower things were called, so I asked my mom, and she said puff ball, which didn't help, then we came up with loofah, and that sounds stupid so I stuck with puffy thing. So yeah. Chapter five will be out eventually, so keep reading and reviewing! Thanks!<strong>

**~Leila**


	6. Chapter 5

**Okay, as a very very nice reviewer pointed out, chapter five was uploaded as chapter twenty five, which happened while I was going back to edit things. Nothing too plot-constructive happened during this, just Link and Zelda studying and going out to eat, but I felt sick! I'll try to redo this to the best of my ability, but I'm so sorry! Thanks to Farore64 for pointing this out!**

**~Leila who feels like the biggest idiot on this planet...**

**Editer: 08/20/14**

* * *

><p><strong>Like a piece to the puzzle that falls into place,<strong>  
><strong>You could tell how we felt from the look on our faces,<strong>  
><strong>We was spinning in circles with the moon in our eyes,<strong>  
><strong>The room left them moving between you and I,<strong>  
><strong>We forgot where we were and we lost track of time,<strong>  
><strong>And we sang to the wind as we danced through the night.<strong>

**/_Into The Night _by Santana/**

* * *

><p>Chapter Five (Link)<p>

I stood facing my open window, watching the empty streets below. The sun shone down brightly on the sidewalk, and it was an overall pleasant day. Seagulls squawked in the distance, two girls rode past on their bikes, and I saw a couple kites flying and dipping through the air. Not only is it a beautiful day, but for me it's a big day.

Today is the first day Zelda and I will be meeting to work on our project. At her house.

She wouldn't talk to me today at school, though. Every time I asked her a question or tried to talk to her, she became all flustered. I think it might be because of my slightly dumb decision to inform her that I thought her eyes were pretty. Unless she normally turns pink and gets all tongue-tied while conversing with other people.

I swung my leg over the window and slowly lowered myself down. Usually I wouldn't take the window, but I have been confined to quarters for calling my uncle a "tub of lard" and a "waste of space." I was only telling the truth, and it's not my fault he decided to see it as an insult instead of constructive criticism. I will never understand simple-minded people.

"What are you doing?"

The voice startled me and I cursed as my foot slipped. I popped my head back up and saw Aryll standing by the window, her arms crossed and her eyebrow arched. I've always wanted to be able to raise one eyebrow. I casually shifted my position and grinned at her.

"Climbing out a window. What does it _look_ like I'm doing?"

"I know _what _you're doing. Let me rephrase that. _Where are you going_?"

I chewed my lip, trying to think of an answer.

"An acquaintance's," I finally said.

"Which acquaintance?"

"Um, Sheik's."

"Liar, you would have taken the roofs. Where are you really going?" she demanded.

"Geez, woman! I'm going to my acquaintance Zelda's house," I said, inching myself lower.

"Zelda! Is that Zaria? Are you going on a date?" she giggled.

I almost fell off the side of my house. I bet this whole scene looks really weird to random pedestrians walking by.

"First of all, yes it's Zaria. Second, it's a study thing to work on a dumb project. Not a date."

As much as I want it to be a date, it's not.

"Hm, seems like a date to me!" she sang, twirling her pigtails. I sighed.

"As much as I'd like to stay and dwell in thy presence, fair maiden, I'm afraid I must take my leave. I shalt return later, but as for now, fare thee well!" I cried, jumping to the street and breaking into a run to avoid further conversation.

"Bye, Link! Have fun on your date!" Aryll called after me.

"It is NOT a date!" I yelled back.

Zelda only lives a few blocks away from me. As I approached her house, you could tell very easily that her family is considerably wealthier than mine.

Though, my family _could_ be living quite comfortably. We could live in a nice house, take nice vacations, and go to nice dinners. If my aunt and uncle could curb their drinking, clubbing, and sex habits, we'd be golden. Alas, that isn't happening anytime soon, so we're stuck where we are.

I jogged up the steps to Zelda's front porch and knocked lightly on the front door. She opened it almost immediately, smiling at me with her golden hair falling into her eyes in waves. I smiled back and stepped into the foyer of her house.

Inside, it was even more apparent that her family is far from struggling financially. A crystal chandelier hung over my head, and a marble staircase with a golden railing ran upstairs. It was a picture perfect home, all except for one thing. It was cold. Not normal cold, but "I'm a polar bear standing wet and naked on an iceberg in a blizzard" cold.

"You making popsicles?" I asked, sliding my shoes off. She gave a short laugh and shook her head.

"No, it's just freezing in my house. I've tried everything; I've turned the heat up, I've lit fires, carried around portable heaters, worn seven sweatshirts and four blankets at once... Nothing seems to work! But you get used to it," she said, leading me into the kitchen.

The table was covered with piles of books, and a few were strewn on the floor. I raised my eyebrows.

"Some nice, light, reading material?" I asked, picking up the book nearest to me. She glared at me.

"They're for our project. I spent all of prep hour in the library, and Renado let me check them all out," she told me, referring to our librarian. He chooses favorites. Just because of that one incident with the noodles doesn't mean that he has to-

"Let's get started," Zelda said, sitting down in a chair. "Pick up a book and write down anything that you think is important."

I sat in the chair next to her and looked at the book in my hand. _Hyrule's Complete Early History _written by Who Cares and edited by No One Cares At All. Sighing, I flipped through the first few pages, scanning for anything that seemed remotely interesting.

I shifted in my seat. This house just doesn't feel right to me. First, there's the biting cold. Then there's this feeling that... that something doesn't want me here. An uncomfortable, unwelcoming feeling.

"Can we like, go outside or something?" I whined, closing the book. Zelda looked up from her own book and stared at me.

"I think it'd be better if we stayed inside," she told me, looking out the window. She has a nice view of her neighbor's back wall.

"Zelda, it's so cold in here, I can feel my toes freezing inside my socks! Why don't you ask your dad if we can go get something to eat? I didn't eat lunch, because it was fish taco day. It was _not _fish. Sheik suggested it might be cat food," I told her.

But she had tensed up and was staring at the wall behind me, her posture rigid. Something about the statement "ask your dad" set her off.

"My dad isn't home."

"Oh."

We settled into an awkward silence, where I didn't really know what to say, and she wasn't talking at all. She was just staring at something in the background. Suddenly, she slammed her book closed, causing me to jump and forced a huge fake smile onto her face.

"Yeah, food sounds good. We can sit outside. It'll be _fun_." She sounded very angry when she said the word 'fun.'

"O-kay..." I said slowly. I wonder what caused her change in attitude. Two minutes ago, she was all "perfect student, Link is stupid, we need to study," and now she wants to go out to eat. Weird. Fine by me, but weird.

"Grab a few books," Zelda instructed, taking a few in her arms and turning towards the front door. I grabbed a stack and followed her, sliding my own shoes back on as she tied hers. I find tying my shoelaces a waste of time. Aryll makes fun of me for forgetting how to, and I know it's a life skill and all, but it takes effort and seven seconds, two things I cannot spare.

Zelda opened the front door with her free hand, and we stepped out into the glorious, warm, sunny, afternoon.

"And Hylia said 'Let there be light!' Thank goddesses, I was turning into a Link-sicle back there!" I said, turning in a circle as Zelda struggled to lock her door.

"Didn't Din give us light?" she asked as she jogged to catch up to me.

"Does it really matter?"

"Uh, yeah, this could directly relate to our project! And it was Din," she informed me.

"School ended like, three hours ago. I could care less about your nerdy fun facts," I informed her.

She glared at me. "It isn't a 'fun fact,' it's basic information. They teach this to six year olds."

"Again, nerdy facts. I do not care."

"You're an idiot."

"Oh, so now we're name calling?"

"Yeah, we are. You're an absolute idiot!"

"And you're a stuck up nerd!"

"Impulsive airhead!"

"Butthead!"

There was a pause, and then she giggled.

"Butthead?"

"Um, yeah, that was the only thing I could think of," I admitted, grinning sheepishly.

"It's a lot nicer than the next thing I had planned on saying," she told me. "It was a good one, too."

"What? Tell, me, I gotta hear this-"

"Hey, look!" she cried, cutting me off and pointing towards the beach. "Remember back in first grade?"

A gaggle of young children, maybe eight or nine years old, ran around the beach, kicking up sand, shoving each other down, chasing a soccer ball. A small boy with black hair kicked the ball hard, and it soared into the opposing team's net. My lips quirked into a smile.

"See that kid right there, scoring a goal? That's me, knocking your team's sorry butts to Termina," I told her.

I love beach soccer. I watched the dark haired boy proudly, then watched in surprise as a blonde girl with pigtails flung herself at him and tackled him to the ground.

"See that girl right there, taking your kid down? That's me, kicking your cocky butt to Skyloft City," she said with a grin.

We had arrived at the city's central hub, a street lined with cafes and expensive boutiques. There's a fancy bakery on this street. They always have their fancy cakes out on display in their front window. Frosting swirls across the cake, forming waves and flowers and animals. Aryll and I used to go there on our birthdays to look at the cakes in the window and pick which one we would get if we could afford it.

"So, where do you want to go?" Zelda asked, looking at all the people seated on outdoor patios. "I know a few good places my dad has-"

"Have you ever been to Telma's?" I interrupted. She blinked.

"No, I don't believe I have."

"That settles it. We're going to Telma's," I said, turning her down a different road.

"Is it good?" she asked as I pushed her along.

"'Good' doesn't even_ begin_ to describe Telma's! Good is a derogatory statement! No word in the Hylian dictionary can describe Telma's!" I cried.

"So, it's like-"

"Picture a big, fluffy cloud with a pretty sunset and a leprechaun sliding down a rainbow in the background. Now add onion rings and a jolly woman with a loud laugh showing way too much cleavage for her age, and you have Telma's."

"Um, I-"

"Shh, don't talk," I said, pushing her down an alley.

Telma's has been a huge part of my life. If my home is hell, then Telma's is heaven, with Telma being an angel herself. Whenever I'm upset or angry or need to talk, I head straight to Telma's. No matter what she is doing, she'll always drop it and come talk to me.

When Aryll and I come to eat, she'll let us off even if we're a few Rupees short. And believe me, _nothing_ is better than sitting on a withered old deck under a tattered umbrella, eating onion rings and popcorn chicken, sipping on homemade strawberry lemonade and watching the ocean. She's even let Sheik and I spy on a couple Castle Guard meetings.

Telma has been the sole motherly figure in my life. She hasn't scolded me for being slightly mischievous, or so much as raised her voice at me at all. If I give her cheek, she'll grin wickedly at me and say something twice as offensive. I suppose I love her in some motherly way. Though when I was eight, I planned on marrying the woman. Seriously, I bought a Ring Pop, got down on one knee and everything.

Some dreams die hard.

"Here we are!" I announced, stopping in front of my favorite place in the planet. Besides Sheik's house, of course. His sister makes good cinnamon rolls.

"_This _is Telma's?" Zelda asked skeptically, looking at a dilapidated, old house.

"No, that's a bed and breakfast. Read the sign, dummy. _This _is Telma's!" I said, gesturing to a slightly _less_ dilapidated old house.

"Oh. It's a bar. Figures," she said slowly.

"What do you mean 'figures'? I'll have you know I've taken an oath of sobriety," I told her, turning to push the door open with my back, trying not to drop all my books.

The tavern was as busy as ever. Waiters and waitresses bustled about, wiping off tables, taking orders and delivering drinks. A few men were already sitting at the bar, well on their way to getting drunk. You could hear the sizzling of grease from the kitchen, and the place smelled heavenly. Polka music was barely audible, coming from outside on the deck.

And there was Telma, smiling at a couple as she set down their plates of food. Her shirt was unbuttoned partially, revealing hints of pink lace, and her auburn hair was up in its usual sloppy ponytail. She turned, and her face lit up as she saw me.

"Link! Honey, where ya been? I was thinking the guards finally caught you and took you in!" she cried, coming over and ruffling my hair affectionately.

I grinned at her. "Oh, you know me, Telma. I've been here and there."

"Up to your usual shenanigans, I presume?"

"Of course! I'm always shenaniganning," I told her. She laughed heartily, then turned and noticed Zelda for the first time. A wild grin spread across her face.

"Well, well! And who might this be?" she asked, smiling at Zelda, who offered a meek smile in return.

"I'm Zelda," she said quietly, looking at the floor. I can tell she's not really a people person.

"Well now, has Link finally gotten himself a date?" Telma asked with a wink. I almost dropped my books on the floor.

"WHAT? No, no no! You've got the wrong idea, we're-"

"EW! NO! He's- he's- disgusting!"

That stings.

I glared at her as Telma chuckled. "Well then! Sorry for assuming. I guess y'all are here to study. The usual spot, I presume?" she asked, still laughing to herself as she picked up two menus.

"Of course. I only take the best seats in the house," I replied.

"Right this way!" she said as she began leading us to the doors. "Oh, and Link honey, you're blushing."

Dammit Telma. That did nothing to help the blush at all. Actually, it made it worse. Zelda started to laugh, though her face was red enough to scare children.

"I wouldn't be talking, tomato face!" I hissed. Her laughter stopped instantly. Serves her right.

Telma lead us out onto the creaky deck that needed a new stain job and plopped our menus down on one of the many painted blue picnic tables. I painted the particular one we were sitting at with Sheik last summer. Telma paid us both forty Rupees, and if you look on the bottom, our names are signed next to our blue handprints.

"Here you are, prime deck seating," Telma proclaimed as we sat down. "Holler if you have any questions, but I know you have the menu memorized, Link, so I doubt you'll need me. I'll be back in a jiffy. Have fun on your 'studious get-together'," she said with a laugh as she retreated back inside.

Zelda watched her go. "She seems really nice," she remarked, her voice raised to be heard over the polka band.

"She is. Telma's like a second mother to me," I said.

"But I thought you lived with your aunt and uncle," Zelda said, glancing at me quizzically.

I swallowed. I don't like where this is going.

"I do."

"What happened to your parents?" she asked.

"They... died."

It's half the truth. That's all I ever tell. Half. Because the whole story is horrific. I can't even stand to think about it. No one knows what happened that day but me. Not Aryll, not my aunt and uncle, no one. I don't tell anyone.. How could I?

_The boy sat in a chair, facing two men wearing black suits. Dark sunglasses covered their eyes, and the boy felt extremely uncomfortable with them watching him.  
><em>

_"Now Link, your parents are dead. It'd be really helpful for us to know how they died, so we can try to catch who did it. Do you know how they died? Did you see anything?" the first man asked, his pen ready to jot down the boy's every word.  
><em>

_Of course he knew how they died. He had seen it. All of it. How could he forget seeing his parent's mutilated bodies, their expressions frozen in sheer terror? He'd never forget. Ever. And the man who did it... He could never tell them what happened to him.  
><em>

_"No. I don't know how they died."_

"Link? Are you okay?" Zelda asked. I snapped back to the present and looked up at her.

"Yeah, I'm just... thinking," I told her.

I wish that polka music would stop. It was getting on my nerves.

"Thinking about what?" she asked, her expression curious.

"Um, math and other related topics," I responded. It sounded dumber out loud than it did in my head. She rolled her eyes.

"You should be focusing on our project. Start reading or we'll never get anything done," she said, shoving a stack of books towards me and picking up one for herself.

"I can't focus! I'm starving!" I whined. "I need brain fuel."

She sighed. "You're so hard to please. Fine. We'll get you your 'brain fuel', and then you better focus up and read!"

"Yes ma'am. Link's the name, and focusing on homework is my game! Or, at least it will be after some onion rings," I said, scanning the inside for Telma.

I couldn't find her right away, so that left me with my second option. Yell really loud.

"TELMA! WE WANT FOOD!" I shouted, causing Zelda to jump and the people around us to glance over.

"What in the name of Nayru was that for?" Zelda demanded. "You are so horribly rude-"

Telma came out laughing, and smacked me on the head playfully. "When I said 'holler', I didn't mean it. You're a piece of work, Link Carstairs," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Alrighty, what do you want?"

"A basket of onion rings and a large fish and chips to share. And two strawberry lemonades," I told her.

"This sure is a friendly studious get-together. Are you sure you don't want me to make that one lemonade with two straws?" she asked.

I stopped breathing momentarily, and Zelda started coughing and hacking uncontrollably.

"I just swallowed my gum!" she wheezed. Telma laughed.

"Just don't die out here, sweetie. I don't really want a dead body on my deck."

Zelda nodded. "Of course, Miss Telma."

"Honey, ditch the 'miss' and call me Telma," she instructed, putting her hand on her hip. Zelda nodded.

"Yes, Miss- I mean Telma," she amended. Telma laughed again and ruffled Zelda's hair, much to her surprise.

"I like this one, Link. Keep her close," Telma told me. I felt the blush creeping back onto my face, and I glared at the barmaid.

"Enough of this idle chit-chat! Get gone thee woman! Make me food!" I commanded.

Telma rolled her eyes. "As you wish, Your Majesty!"

And she disappeared again, barking orders to the head chef, Tony. He has an eyepatch. When I was little, I thought Tony was a pirate.

"You really are rude to her," Zelda said as she straightened her Telma-fied hair. I shrugged.

"Nah. I've known her forever. We're tight," I told her.

"Either way, you should show her a little respect."

"I do! She has my permanent respect after she threatened to cut Sheik's balls off after he attempted to dye all the food orange! She scared the shit out of him!"

She laughed. "She did?"

"Oh yeah. She made sure to give him the death glare for a week afterward, and I think he still has nightmares," I told her with a grin.

"Poor Sheik. Scared of a barmaid."

"A really, really scary barmaid," I corrected.

"I heard that!" came a distant shout from inside.

Zelda and I both laughed, and for a second I thought maybe. Maybe she does like me. Maybe I'll get lucky. Maybe this'll all work out. Her blue eyes shone like the stars, and she smiled at me. Then she shoved a book in my face.

"We can read while we're waiting for food," she said, nodding at me, then delving into her own book. I sighed.

She's still Zelda.

I opened the book she'd given me and scanned the first couple paragraphs. It's about the Hero. Fantastic.

_The Hero was not only brave_- like me- _but he was also extremely kind_- like me- _smart-_ like me_- and was said to be very good-looking. _Very much like me. _Historians are not quite sure what the Hero's relationship with the Princess was. Some have said they only met during the adventure and never met again. Others said they were best of friends. But the most popular theory was that the Hero and Princess were in love. The Hero loved her, and he would do anything for his Princess._

My eyes flicked up to Zelda. Her head was bent over a book, and her hair hung down in her face like a curtain of sunshine. Zelda noticed me looking at her and gave me a small smile before looking back down at her book. My heart started beating faster and my stomach felt all weird and fluttery like it always does when she's around. She's so beautiful.

I shook my head and turned to jot a few things down on the notepad. As much as I'd like to think it, we're not here on a date. We're here to study. Damn studying.

"Why do you like school so much?" I asked. She looked up again, and frowned.

"Well, I'm good at it. It's always been a big priority in my family, and... it's interesting I guess. I don't know, I just do," she rambled. "Why do you not like school?"

"Cause' there's so many more better things to do than school! Track, going to the beach, making fun of the mailman, Telma's, hanging with Sheik and Saria... The list is endless! Don't you like gymnastics and your friends and stuff?"

"I do, but school comes first. That's always been the rule," she told me.

"Haven't you had time to, you know, let go, enjoy life, talk to attractive blonde males in your class?" I asked. Her cheeks flushed pink and she looked away towards the blue ocean.

"T-the view from this deck is gorgeous," she commented, artfully changing the subject. I decided to let it drop.

"Yeah, and the beach is great for finding shells, too. Aryll and I look for them sometimes."

I left out how we look for the biggest and prettiest to take home, clean, and sell for money to pay bills and buy food.

"I don't usually get to go to the beach anymore," she said, leaning on the deck railing. "My father and I used to, but we don't as much anymore. He's gone more now. He never has time to spend with me, he's always working or off on some business trip! I can't stand it!"

"At least you've got a dad."

Her eyes widened. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't be sorry. It's fine," I sighed.

"Do you... do you remember your parents at all?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. There's lots of little things," I said, avoiding her gaze.

"Like what?" she prompted.

"Well, we lived on Outset. We went to the beach every single day, and it almost never rained. Once a week, we'd go to get ice cream as a family. Always mint ice cream. And my mom loved birds, and my dad was a fisherman. He took my a couple times. And my dad sang. I remember singing."

I mentally cursed myself for saying so much. I was rambling on, and on, and I sound like a sentimental idiot. But she was smiling. She didn't look like she pitied me, she looked understanding.

"That sounds wonderful. You had nice parents," she told me.

"...Thank you."

We trailed into an uncomfortable silence. The polka band had stopped playing polka and was playing slower songs. The waves crashed on the shore. Seagulls screeched as they dove into the ocean for their dinner. Laughs and the clinking of glasses could be heard from inside the tavern.

I wasn't sure what to say. I hadn't meant to say all that stuff.

Luckily, Telma arrived at that moment with our food. She set down the baskets of onion rings and fried fish, then placed the lemonades on the table. She smiled brightly at us.

"Here y'all are! Enjoy, and holler- I mean, ask for me in a civilized volume of voice, if you need anything," she said with a chuckle. Zelda laughed a bit, and I smiled and turned my attention to the beautiful baskets of fried food before me.

I grabbed a piece of fish and immediately shoved it into my mouth. It burned my tongue, but it was delicious anyway. I looked over at Zelda, who seemed confused and was looking around for something.

"Where's the silverware?" she asked.

"Silverware? Did that seriously just come out of your mouth? Like, for real? Zelda, this is finger food," I said. She blinked at me.

"So you just pick it up..."

"And eat it," I finished for her. She reached into the basket and tentatively picked up a piece of fish.

"Like this?"

"Yup, now tear into it an make grunting noises. Like this!" I said with a grin, grabbing a piece and ripping into it, making caveman noises. She laughed and covered her mouth with her hand.

"You are so embarrassing!"

"Okay, so you don't have to do the grunting, but it does make the overall experience more enjoyable," I told her, watching as she lifted the fish to her mouth and blew on it daintily. I rolled my eyes.

"Quit being a priss! Just eat it!"

She bit into it instead of shoving it all into her mouth, and chewed slowly. Dinssake. She's painful to watch.

"Hey, this is really good!" she cried, taking another bite, then sipping her lemonade.

"I know it is! Now try an onion ring. They'll change your life, I swear," I said, shoving the basket towards her.

"Life changing pieces of deep-fried onion circles, huh? Alright," she said, picking one up. This time she didn't hesitate and bit right into it. "Mmm, these are good!"

"I don't want to say I told you so, but..."

"You told me so."

The rest of dinner was spent just talking. We completely forgot about studying- actually, she forgot. I just skillfully avoided the topic. Either way, we just talked. About school, about life, about friends. Everything. I wish we'd talk like this more often. The only breaks we took were to chew and take the occasional drink of lemonade.

"You know, this was really nice. I'm glad we came here, or I never would have found this place," Zelda said, smiling at me from across the table.

"It's a diamond in the ruff," I agreed, swaying back and forth to the music that was playing. "Hey, what song is this, Genius Girl? It sounds familiar."

"They play a similar rendition at the Goddess Festival. Remember? Usually during the couple's dance on Din's Day," she told me, looking over at the crowd gathered by the band.

Indeed, several couples were twirling and revolving in a circle. Every few steps, a couple would step in the middle, show off some fancy steps, then melt back into the group. I watched the happy faces of the couples spinning by. Glancing at Zelda out of the corner of my eyes, I decided to be stupid and take a chance.

"Well, since it's for couples, may I have this dance?" I asked, standing up and sweeping into a low bow. She stared at me for a moment, and for a second I thought she was going to refuse me, but then she placed her hand in mine and stood up. She didn't meet my eye.

"Yes. Let us dance."

I lead her to the circle, and we joined the twirling dancers. I found that I did remember the dance, though I stepped on her foot more than twice. More than four times, actually. After a few cuss words and some nasty looks from Zelda, I got the hang of the dance and was spinning her with ease. I didn't fail to note how close we were together or my hand around her waist.

"You're an awful dancer," Zelda told me as we paused to let another couple to the center.

"Ridiculous. I'm the best male dancer in Hyrule, you're the one holding me back," I said, resuming the spinning pattern.

"You certainly are not! You're a klutz, and your sense of rhythm and timing is awful," she informed me. I stepped on her foot again, only this one was not an accident.

"Oops," I sneered.

She glared at me and responded by stamping down on my own foot, causing me to swear and stumble. And we ended up in the center of the circle. The other people in the circle stared at us expectantly, and I swallowed hard.

"Oh, hell. Now what?" Zelda whispered.

"Make it up!"

I twirled her out, then back into me and dipped her low like I've seen people do. The twirled her again, then I lifted her up above my head and twirled her around. I heard Telma laugh and a few people clap. She squealed a bit, and I set her down and we rejoined the circle.

"Oh goddesses! I'm done dancing!" Zelda announced, going to sit back down at our table. Telma came over, her grin a mile wide. Oh no.

"Who knew Link Carstairs could dance? What an interesting studious get-together this has been. That was fantastic!" she laughed, her chocolate eyes shining.

"I thought you were going to drop me!" Zelda cried indignantly.

"I would _not_ drop you!"

"That was the most terrifying experience of my life!"

"Oh, you enjoyed it honey. If not, then the look on your face told otherwise," Telma said, looking at Zelda with an arched eyebrow. Zelda went beet red and began busying herself with gathering up our books.

"Shut it, Tel. Now, what do I owe ya?" I asked. I think I have fifteen Rupees on hand. Maybe.

"Oh, nothing. You made my night with that dance. It was priceless!" she exclaimed as she gathered our trash.

"But, Miss- Telma, you can't do that! I insist," Zelda said, digging into her pocket. Telma shook her head.

"Save it for a rainy day, hon. It's fine. Now y'all have a good night," she said, exiting the deck, signaling the conversation was over.

I shrugged and grabbed my stack of books. "Drop it, Zelda. It's fine," I said, pushing the door open for her.

It was later now, and the tavern was filled with people. The bar was jam-packed, and you could smell beer and cigarette smoke. It was hot and crowded and loud.

I fought to shove my way through, creating a path for Zelda. I hate drunks, I hate bars, I hate these people...

We were almost to the door, when I froze. Sitting across the room with some girl passed out on his lap was my uncle. My aunt hovered nearby, laughing loudly at some Zora man's joke. I inched my way towards the door, hoping he wouldn't see me, but he looked over.

"Hey!" he yelled.

"Oh, geez, Zelda, we need to go," I said, pushing harder than ever to get to the door.

"Hey! Ge' o'er here NOW!"

"Link, who's that" Zelda asked. I reached the door, and grabbed the handle.

"Some crazy drunk, let's go!"

"When I ge' back to the house, yer dead, ya lil' cretin!"

I let the door slam behind us, breathing heavily, thankful for the cool fresh air. Zelda didn't say anything, and I was glad. We walked in silence under the stars, leaving me to my thoughts.

He'll forget. He'll be so dead drunk that he won't even remember I was there. I'll be fine. Perfectly fine. I never talk about my "family." Neither does Aryll. I don't want any more complications in my life, and as long as they hit me and not Aryll, I'm fine with it. As soon as I turn seventeen, I can legally move out and take care of Aryll. I can get a job and our lives will be infinitely better. It's only a matter of weeks, too. Then I'm free.

We arrived at Zelda's house, and we slowed to a stop. Zelda shifted her books and looked up at me, her hair silver in the moonlight.

"Well, we got close to nothing done, so we'll have to research at home. Read some tonight, and we can meet tomorrow after seven thirty," she said, shattering the silence of the night. I nodded.

"Maybe we can get ice cream and work on the beach or something."

She smiled. "That would be great. Thanks for dinner Link. And... and thanks for the dance."

With that, she turned around and marched up to her front door. I smiled to myself and began to run home. She thanked me for the dance. She thanked me, which means she enjoyed it, which means she enjoyed me...

I was still smiling when I arrived at my house. I pushed open the door- my aunt and uncle had, predictably, left it unlocked- and stepped into the house.

"I'm home," I called up the stairs as I slid my shoes off.

I heard a crash and several bumps, and Aryll materialized at the top of the stairs. She was already dressed in her blue footie pajamas and clutched her telescope and a stuffed whale in her hands.

"How was your date?" she asked with a grin.

I groaned and ran up the stairs, collapsing at her feet. "It. Was. Not. A. Date."

"It. Was. Too!" she giggled, flopping down beside me. "I believe our mighty Hero has fallen for his Princess!"

"Something like that," I sighed, closing my eyes and laying my head on the carpet.

"But you don't get to choose your princess," she reminded me. "Hylia chooses the Chosen."

"Mmm."

"You really like her, don't you? Is she the reason you never go out with any girls? I bet she is! Aw, this is adorable!" Aryll cooed, pinching my cheek. I groaned again and rolled over.

"Stop talking about my personal life!"

"Why? It's funny! You get so annoyed!" she giggled. I sighed.

"Isn't it time for young sand crabs to be getting ready for bed?" I asked.

"Do I look like a sand crab to you?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

"You're really mean," she said, scampering to her feet then grabbing my arm to drag me up.

"And you're nosy! Now brush your teeth!"

She giggled and ran into out bathroom. I watched as she picked up her tube of Little Bear Beginner toothpaste and squeezed a glob onto her pink toothbrush.

"Don't you think you're a little old for Little Bear?" I asked, examining the tube as she brushed.

"You're never too old for Little Bear," she insisted. She's foaming at the mouth. She looks like she has rabies.

"Toothpaste is disgusting. It's this minty, pasty stuff that burns your tongue and makes you look like a diseased dog."

"Well, Little Bear tastes like bubblegum."

"Grow up," I teased, tugging on one of her pigtails. She grinned at me with her mouth full of Little Bear, then turned to spit in the sink.

"Never! I'll be forever ten years old! Now, tell me a story," she commanded, scampering into our shared room.

The room was obviously divided, not only by the wall in the middle, but by the state of our halves. Aryll's half has stuffed animals and blankets and pillows and clothes and Din knows what else covering her floor, while my half looks like no one lives there. Not even the bedspread has so much as wrinkle on it. I've always been a little anal about keeping clean, a habit I picked up from my mother. She was always cleaning things. If so much as a grain of sand got on the floor, she'd be there with a dust pan and a broom.

Aryll flung herself onto her bed, and I pulled her covers over her and arranged her stuffed animals around her head.

"Now, Aryll Carstairs, I bid thee goodnight."

"Goodnight, Linky-winks," Aryll murmured sleepily, stretching out. "I love you."

"I love you too."

I shut our door as quietly as I could, then jogged downstairs to retrieve books. I picked the top two off the pile, then ran back up the stairs. I could have sat and read on the couch, but it's way too nice of a night. The roof is much too inviting.

I decided to go through my aunt and uncle's room to avoid stirring Aryll. My aunt and uncle's room has always been dark and cavernous. When I was younger, I used to be convinced they kept a bear in here. It's really just a bunch of empty rum bottles and boxes of condoms. I pried the window open, and climbed up and onto the roof.

No wind was blowing at the current moment, and the stars were out and shining brightly. It's perfect reading weather. I lay on my stomach and flipped the first book open. Scanning the first few sentences I saw, I could conclude that this was a crappy romance novel and not worth my time.

_The Princess gazed into the starry eyes of her lover, well aware of his hands around her waist. Her lips parted around his, and before she kissed him, she whispered,  
><em>

_"I love you, Link."  
><em>

_"I love you too, Zelda."_

Wait, Link? Zelda? I didn't know I was named for the Hero. I never even knew the Hero's name. And I bet Zelda didn't know she was named after the Princess. I looked over the next few pages, and even though it had mine and Zelda's names in it, it was still a really crappy romance novel. I tossed the book aside and sighed. I doubt I'll be getting much reading done tonight.

I turned my gaze to the starry sky above me. I traced constellations with my finger, remembering my father's gentle voice as he pointed them out to me as we sat on the beach. Din's Flame. Hylia's Harp. The Master Sword. And if you look straight about the harp, you'll see the Triforce.

My father told me that the three main stars of the constellation were the goddesses themselves, watching down on the world. I always wondered where Hylia was, if those three were the other goddesses. I looked to the right of the Triforce, and pointed three stars up... Then frowned.

Where was the Guardian star? It's the brightest in the sky, how can I miss it? Legend has it that the Guardian star was the Hero of Time's fairy guide, forever preserved in stars. It's gone now, I guess. That or I need glasses.

"Mind if I join you?" a small voice came from behind me. I jumped a little and looked over to see Aryll standing on the roof, clutching her harp in her arms.

"You should be asleep," I mumbled, scooting over and gesturing for her to sit next to me. She did, sitting cross-legged with her harp.

"So should you. And here we are," she said, looking up at the night sky.

"I'm older than you! You're ten! Ten year olds should be in bed by, like, seven!"

"Seven is way too early!"

"Whatever. Seven-thirty," I amended. She smiled, and we lapsed into a silence.

Aryll strummed her harp thoughtfully, plucking out a sweet, simple tune. She plays a lot of songs, some of them I think she makes up. She's very musical.

"A Rupee for your song?" I asked, looking over at her.

"My thoughts cost a Rupee. My songs will cost ya five!" she teased. "But it's nothing really, just a little bit of something I've had in my head today."

"Can I hear it?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I guess so._ Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess, unite earth and sky, bring light to the land. Oh youth, show the two whirling sails the way to the Light Tower...and before you a path shall open, and a heavenly song you shall hear._"

I closed my eyes, and hugged her close as the song finished. She is so beautiful. She is my everything. I hope she knows that. I would do anything for her. Anything at all. I'd even streak through the Castle if that's what she wanted.

I really hope she wouldn't want that.

"That was beautiful," I murmured into her hair. "Just like you. You know that, right?"

She shrugged, her expression suddenly distant. "Sometimes, I'll get the feeling that someone is watching me. I'll turn, and sure enough, someone is looking at me. But there's something in their faces that tell me they know something about me that I don't. Do you ever get that, Link?" she asked quietly.

What is she talking about? I hate when she acts like this. I like my happy, carefree, joking Aryll a lot better.

"What do you mean, Ary?"

"I don't feel safe, Link. I don't know why, but I have been feeling like I'm in constant danger. I can't explain it, it's just there. This fear that I can't describe," she whispered.

"Shh."

I pulled her to me and stroked her hair. She scares me when she talks like this.

"I'm here to protect you, Aryll. I always will be, no matter what," I told her.

"No matter what?"

'No matter what."

"Promise?"

"I promise."


	7. Chapter 6

**Wow, quick update, RIGHT? Gosh, you guys are awesome! I get so many awesome reviews that are nice and give me great advice! It really makes me happy to know you guys enjoy my story :) Thanks Ninja Stardust and Jazzmatazz2000 for your nice reviews! And as always, whosahassa :) you rock! Alright, let's get this chapter six started! And for all of you who are like "Goddesses, this is boring lady when are you going to kill stuff?" All in good time, my friends :) All in good time.**

**~Leila**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff! Except for the story. Does anyone seriously bother to read disclaimers?**

**Edited: 08/25/14**

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><p>Chapter Six (Aryll)<p>

I finally convinced Link to go to bed sometime around midnight. We had lain on the cold roof for hours, pointing out constellations, talking, and sometimes just staying quiet and listening to the music of the ocean. He was yawning and stretching and insisting he wasn't tired, fighting to stay up just a little later, but I finally coaxed him back inside.

I lie now, surrounded by all my stuffed animals, listening to his deep, even breathing. I know I should be asleep, or at least be making an attempt, but I know Link will be up again anyway, so what's the point?

At night, the role of "protective sibling" is passed from Link to me. Every night for as long as I can remember, Link has woken up screaming from some horrible nightmare. Every night. I'll let him crawl to bed with me, or I'll crawl into his bed, and I give my best shot at comforting him.

The only issue is that Link is stubborn, and convincing him what he saw isn't real is no easy task. On good nights, he'll fall back to sleep, still shaking, and on bad nights, he'll be crying and shaking and vomiting, and I'll be helpless to do anything. Sometimes he's stayed home from school due to nightmares. I can save my brother from any other kinds of danger, but I can't save him from his head.

Even now as I lie in the quiet dark, I can hear his breathing becoming shaky. I silently slip out of my covers and tiptoe around the wall to his side of the room. Already, he's kicked his covers off and is thrashing around violently, mumbling in his sleep.

"Aryll," I hear him say. "Aryll... ARYLL!" he bolts upright, eyes wide. I smile and climb onto his bed next to him, laying my head in his lap.

"Shh... I'm here, Link, what is it?" I say in the calmest voice I can.

It's not easy being soothing when the only person you love in the world, the bravest, funniest person you know who jumps across couches with you pretending the ground is lava, is screaming and shaking and crying. When I was littler, I would cry too, not knowing what was wrong with my big brother or how to help him. But with years of practice, I can easily come across as calm and hide my fear and worries for him.

"You-you.. there was... he-he... I'm just glad you're okay!" he struggled to form sentences and wrapped his arms tightly around me. I hugged him back.

"I'm alright. You're alright. We're alright. Now, do you want me to lie with you?" I asked.

He nodded, and I leaned forward to pull the covers back over us. He held on to me tightly for a few more minutes, then his arm withdrew and he turned to face the wall, taking most of the covers with him. Stupid cover hog.

I yanked the blanket back and clung onto my treasured piece of warmth tightly, and settled myself in comfortably. Link's breathing was steady again; he's alright. My eyelids were drooping; I'm alright. We were both cuddled together, like a good brother and sister should be. We're alright. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.

_I was standing in a long hallway, my ear pressed to a door. There were voices coming from inside, some yelling while others were calm, but you could still hear the anger in them.  
><em>

_"How does she expect to carry out this 'brilliant' plan of hers?" one of the louder voices was asking. "So many things could go wrong, and there'd be nothing we could do to help her!"  
><em>

_"I've tried talking some sense into her, but she won't listen. She's completely convinced that she has to do this," a different voice said.  
><em>

_"We can't completely reject her idea, though. Look at her last plan. We never, ever would have thought to distribute the Triforce to humans, and yet they completely sealed away Evil and restored peace to Hyrule. We can't just simply ignore her idea," the calmest voice said. It sounded vaguely familiar to me.  
><em>

_"I know," the loud speaker spat with contempt,"but do you really think it's_ wise_ to throw our youngest and most inexperienced sister down to earth, vulnerable, where anything can get to her?"  
><em>

_"She obviously knows what she's doing! Or she wouldn't have suggested she go in the first place!" the calm one snapped, her voice rising to a shout._

_There was a sigh.  
><em>

_"Sisters, please. Calm down. If she thinks she knows how to solve our predicament, let her. If she is voluntarily putting herself in danger, she must be very confident in her plan and in her Chosen," the third voice said._

_More sighing.  
><em>

_"Alright then. If she really thinks she can do it, then she will. Ask, and she shall receive."  
><em>

_I opened the door silently and stepped into the room. The eyes of all three women locked onto me.  
><em>

_"I've done it before. I am asking. And I will be receiving," I told them sternly, crossing my arms. The calm one looked at me, her eyes tired and full of an unrecognizable emotion.  
><em>

_"Very well, then. I am reminding you that this is your choice. No matter what happens, you have to live with it. You won't remember who you are. You won't remember where you came from. You'll remember nothing, but if that is your choice..."  
><em>

_"So be it."_

_o0o0o0o0o0_

_I watched as my body was transformed into a blue glowing mass._

_I turned one last time, to see them all watching me, sad expressions on their faces. Watching them made me tear up, so I turned away. There was nothing I could do now._

_I could feel my soul, my essence, being drained away, pulled down through the clouds. My power, my emotions, and the very fibers of my being were fading away and being transferred from my body. I could see the blue sparkles that were my body slowly start to float away, floating down, and I watched myself fade._

_I was gone. I was no longer me. Soon, I wouldn't have any recollection of what happened; I'd be on my own._

_They promised to wake me up when the time was right. They said they'd send a messenger. But I don't know how long that will take._

_Until then, I will be sleeping, locked in someone else's soul. I closed my eyes as the last of my body faded away, embracing my final moments. And as the world faded to black, I knew I would make it. I could do anything. I could do whatever I wanted._

_And then I was gone._

"Hey! Listen!" I heard a voice cut through my dreams. My eyelids fluttered open, and I saw the room was bathed in a soft blue light. I sat up slowly, so I wouldn't disturb Link, and I looked around, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes with my blue fleece sleeve.

"Hey! Over here!" I heard the voice again, coming from my half of the room.

Curious, I slipped out of bed. The light was growing brighter now, and I was growing closer. I reached my half of the room, but instead of seeing a person holding a blue light like I thought, I saw a floating blue ball of light hovering over my harp. I blinked, to be sure I wasn't still asleep, and stared at the ball.

"Aryll! I was sent here to awaken you!" the ball cried.

"Yeah, you sure woke me up," I yawned, still staring wearily at the floaty light-thing.

How does it know my name?

"No, I was sent to _awaken you_!" she insisted, a new urgency in her voice.

My eyes flew open.

Whispers and memories flooded my head, things that have been buried deep in my mind for years. All the voices and scenes playing in my head, louder and louder and more and more...

I sank to my knees on the floor of my room, breathing heavily. The light... no, she's a fairy. I remember now. I remember everything. I turned to where Link was sleeping, Link my brother... no, Link the... A small tear ran down my cheek as I stared at his sleeping form.

"I know this is all hard to take, Aryll, but you have to bear with it. It was your choice after all," the fairy reminded me.

I nodded numbly, looking off into space. After all, it was my choice. It was. I remember making the choice. I remember knowing that I couldn't be attached to my new life. I remember my sister telling me all of this, explaining the costs of my choice. I turned to look up at the fairy, then back at my brother, and back at the fairy. I swallowed hard and kept my gaze on the fairy.

"Right. It was my choice. And now, we have a lot of work to do. And we only have so much time."


	8. Chapter 7

**Dudes/dudettes/or none of the former, you guys rock! I watched with what can be described as sheer elation as reviews rose from like 18 to 31. I am hugging all of you right now, thanks so much! Thanks to chupacabrabeliver18, RilexHorton, barrissandahsokafriendz, NeonGreenSheep, littlelostdreamer, Kamil the Awesome, Ninja Stardust, FOZE, a couple anonymous people, Hylian's Hero, Jazzmatazz2000, whosahassa, NinjasRule, Billyblue, dbzgtfan2004, Love's Abyss, and my very first reviewer, liveoutloud120! Thanks so much guys, and I'm hurrying through the boring beginning chapters as fast as I can!**

**~Leila!**

**I refuse to disclaim anymore. I think y'all have figured it out!**

**Also, I've skipped ahead three days after the last chapter, so let's say the last chapter was on a Tuesday, this chapter is Friday.**

**Edited: 08/25/13**

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><p>Chapter Seven (Zelda)<p>

"Is it two drops of red and one drop of blue, or the other way around?" Midna asked, frowning at the colored liquid in the vials.

I took one and squinted through my safety goggles. "I'm pretty sure it's two drops of blue and one of red."

"Fine, but if it explodes and we all die, I'm blaming you," Midna informed me as she began filling her eyedropper with the watery blue chemical.

I frowned at the DARK CIRCLES that shadowed her normally bright eyes. She's been acting very strange lately, and she refuses to talk about it. She doesn't eat as much, she always looks so tired, and even though it's eighty degrees outside, she still wear long sleeves.

Tetra told me she saw a weird swirly turquoise pattern under her sleeve and when she asked about it, Midna went ballistic. Is she trying to hide tattoos from her mom? Because I doubt that will go over well with her perfectionist mother. Midna gave me an odd look for staring at her, and I snapped myself out of it.

"Ready?" I asked, poising my own dropper of red over the large beaker of a clear chemical. Midna brought her dropper next to mine and grinned.

"Fire at will!" she cried, letting two drops of the blue liquid fall into the clear.

I smiled and let my red drop fall, watching the mixture begin to bubble and rise. Shad walked over with his clipboard and eyed the concoction, then made a few notes on his grade sheet.

"Very good girls! Exactly what I wanted. Now, I need to go check on those two before they blow anything up," he told us, striding over to the lab where Link and Roy were working.

I let out a sigh of relief and pulled off the ugly yellow protective gloves. Midna did the same, and as she did so, the sleeve of her sweatshirt pulled up slightly. Indeed there was some strange turquoise markings, wrapping around her wrist and snaking up her arm, disappearing up her sleeve. She followed my gaze and frowned, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"So, what are those? Did you go get a-" I started to ask.

"None of your business!" Midna snapped, turning away in a huff.

I rolled my eyes. She's always been a drama queen.

"Sorry, for attempting to ask my best friend a simple question," I grumbled, sitting down on my uncomfortable metal stool.

"Zelda, you just don't understand-"

"Alright! Clean up your labs, we need to get back to the classroom before school ends! Rinse out your beakers, and make sure to wear your gloves! We don't want chemicals on your hands or getting into your eyes! And wash your hands!" Shad yelled, sending students into a flurry of motion; turning sinks on to wash purple bubbles down the drain, and hastily wiping down counters with paper towels.

I grabbed our own beaker and dumped it down the sink.

"So... how's your Creation project going with Sheik?" I asked, trying to restart the conversation after the awkward turn our last one had taken.

Midna looked at me warily. "It's alright. We're making posters," she told me, grabbing a wad of paper towels and robotically moving them back and forth across the counter. "What about you and everyone's best friend Link?"

"We're doing pretty good, actually. It's just hard to get Link to focus," I sighed. "Honestly, it's like working with a small child on crystal meth."

Midna cracked a small smile at that. "Sounds like Sheik. Only he's cute, so I don't care" she told me.

"See, at least yours is attractive."

"What? You have to admit, Link's pretty good looking," Midna said, leaning on the counter and gazing over at him. I frowned and stared at him.

Sure, he has nice eyes, and his hair looks golden and soft and I often resist the urge to run my fingers through it, but that doesn't mean I think he's good looking, right?

"Everyone wash your hands! We need to get back to the classroom!" Shad directed, motioning towards the door.

I ran some water over my hands and dried them with a paper towel and hurried to catch up to Midna out the lab door. The class trooped up the stairs and back into our classroom, and we all re-situated ourselves into our desks. Link slid into his seat next to me, smiling at me as he did so.

"Good afternoon, fair Zelda," he said.

"And to you, Link."

"That's it? Just Link? I don't get fair, or dashing or noble or charming?" he asked.

"I'm terribly sorry. Good afternoon, O self-centered, arrogant Link," I corrected myself. He nodded.

"Much better."

I rolled my eyes and gathered my books up, waiting for the end-of-school bell.

"I don't get you."

"I'm charming," he assured me.

"The definition of charm is the power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration. You don't quite meet those expectations," I said dryly.

"I'd say I arouse admiration. Ask Ruto. Or Ilia."

"Those are bad examples."

"Actually, they're perfect."

The loud trill of the bell sounded and students leaped out of their seats and stampeded to the door. I stood up and waited for Link, who soon appeared at my side. As much as it pains me to walk with him, he insists.

Besides, today we're going to the Castle Library. We ran out of books from the school library, and Link suggested we try the castle. I convinced Ashei to let me skip out of gymnastics, which wasn't easy, considering I have a meet tomorrow, and I was prepared for the long walk. We walked towards the main door, and I began to open the wooden door, but Link reached out to stop me.

"We need to wait for my sister," he told me.

_We_? _We_ needed to? No, _he_ needed to wait for his sister. _I_ could leave if I wanted. But of course, I leaned against the wall next to him.

"You have a sister?"

"Yup. Ten years old and already bossing me around like an old lady." he said affectionately. I nodded.

"That must be nice."

I've always wanted a sibling. I used to ask my father daily for a brother or sister, and I prayed every night to the goddesses. _Please, Nayru. Give me a baby sister, just for me. I'll love you forever, and I'm sorry I put gum in that naughty Link's hair. He still deserved it. Amen._

Finally, my father told me I wasn't getting a sibling, explained why, and I was disgusted beyond all belief. But I still wish for one sometimes. Maybe I'm just lonely and need a companion. I should stock up on cats.

"Oy, Aryll! Over here!" Link suddenly called, waving over a young girl.

She had blonde hair down to a little past her shoulders that she wore in braided pigtails, and bright blue eyes. They were a little too old, a little too knowing for a child for her age, yet they were warm and smiling nonetheless. She smiled at Link and waded through the crowds to our spot on the wall. I noticed she clutched a small red telescope tightly in her hands.

"Howdy, Link," she greeted him. "Who's this? Is this Zaria?" she asked, her smile suddenly growing wider and brighter. Link's cheeks burned red, and I looked at him, confused.

"Zaria? I'm Zelda. We're working on a school project together," I explained.

Her eyes widened slightly when I introduced myself, and something flashed across her face, but it was quickly gone, instantly replaced by a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Zelda. I'm Aryll," she said, moving towards the door and pushing it open.

The sun shone down brightly, warming my skin with its rays, and I could hear the laughter and shrieks of children playing at the beach. It's officially summer again; the ocean warms up, frozen lemonade stands pop up everywhere, and tourists flock to the shores of Hyrule Castle Town like seagulls to Telma's french fries. I inhaled the fresh, salty air and turned to Link.

"What time are we starting the walk to the castle?" I asked. He looked at me, confused.

"Walk? We're walking? No thank you! Aren't we biking?" he asked. I swallowed.

"Biking?"

"Yeah, you know, metal thing, two wheels, pedals... Ringing a bell?"

"I... don't know how to ride a bike," I admitted. Both Link and Aryll were launched into hysterics.

"You're kidding, right? How old are you, sixteen?" Aryll giggled. I flushed.

"I'm sorry, I was too busy learning algebra, physics, and other things to learn to ride a bike!" I snapped.

"You learned algebra in kindergarten?" Link gaped at me.

"Don't be ridiculous. I was doing pre-algebra in kindergarten. Algebra was first and second grade.

"Nerd," Link mumbled. "Now we're gonna be delayed an afternoon because I have to teach you how to ride a bike!" he groaned.

"Stop acting like this is all my fault! We could just walk, you know!"

"No, that would take forever. I'd like to get there while I'm still young, thanks."

"I won't go if we're biking!"

"You will if you don't want to fail!"

"I hate you."

Aryll laughed as we bickered.

"You two are like an old married couple," she commented. Link made a face.

"Honey, I'm filing for DIVORCE," he said.

"Good. I'm calling my lawyer."

"And who might that be?"

I looked at the blonde girl walking alongside us. "None other than the infamous Aryll Carstairs."

Link gave a huge, dramatic gasp and looked at Aryll. "How is that possible? She's_ my_ lawyer! Little double-crosser. How many times have I told you? No fraternizing with the enemy!" he said gesturing at me. "She might look sweet, but in truth, she'll bite your head off. She's like a little dragon!"

Aryll sighed. "You two are horrible clients. I quit," she told us.

"Good, cause' you're fired."

* * *

><p>I smiled. This is always how I pictured brothers and sisters. Before I wanted a younger sister, I'd wanted an older brother. Someone to protect you from all the dangers out there, someone who'll be there no matter what.<p>

I thought Link was a carefree, annoying little jerk, but turns out, he's a _caring_ annoying little jerk. The way he looks at Aryll, you can tell. He'd do anything for her in a heartbeat. But now that I think about it, who would do anything for me? My father? If he was around. My old nanny, Impa, would have before she left. Then again, she left. Maybe she really didn't care.

"Hey, earth to Zelda! We're at your house. I'm going to take Aryll home, get the bikes, and I'll meet you here in like ten minutes. Okay? Did you get that, or should I put it in bigger words so you'll relate?" Link's voice shook me from my thoughts. I glared at him, and he raised his eyebrows. "Alright then. Miss, Fairchild, we have arrived at your living quarters. I shall CONTINUE on to my own humble dwelling to escort this youngling safely home. When I arrive-"

"Oh shut up! You should hear yourself!" I snapped, stepping onto my front porch.

"I can, that's what ears are for."

I rolled my eyes and stuck the key into the lock. "See you in a bit," I said.

"Bye! Nice meeting you, Zelda!" Aryll called.

I turned and smiled at her before retreating into the cool depths of my house. I will admit, the cold temperature does feel nice in the summers.

I tossed my books onto the table and undid my sandals. If I'm riding a bike, I can't be wearing those shoes. I'd kill myself before I even got riding.

Pouring myself a glass of water, I glanced out the WINDOW at our backyard. We have a nice view of someone else's backyard, which is basically just an alleyway. I raised the glass to my lips, taking a drink of the cool water.

Glancing at the clock, I saw it was three fifteen. Link will be here in about five minutes. Setting the glass down, I went to go put my shoes on. I sat on the bench by the door, sliding on a cute pair of flats.

As much as I might hate to admit it, I'm actually looking forward to this little trip, bike ride and all.

Not only will I get to see the Castle Library, the biggest library in Hyrule, I'll be with someone I can talk to. I've learned in the past week that Link isn't horrible. Just bad. He's a good person to talk to, and he'll even listen sometimes. I think he's finally realized that dipping pigtails in glue is not a good way to interact with me, and sometimes I enjoy his presence.

Not that I'd tell him that. I don't want to give him the idea that we're best friends or anything. I looked out the window by the door again. Still no Link. Walking back into the kitchen, I took another sip of my water. He's just running a little late.

Twenty minutes later, I was not thinking the same thing. I was thinking several things, none of which were very nice. In short, I was pissed.

I fidgeted with my necklace, running my fingers over the smooth tear of light, as I'd come to call it, and glanced at the clock again. Three forty. Maybe I should go get him and see what the hell is going on. It's not acceptable to say you'll be ten minutes then keep someone waiting for thirty. Idiot.

I grabbed my book bag and opened the door again, wincing in the bright sun. After locking my door, I began to walk purposefully down the stone road.

I SCANNED the rows of houses, trying to remember which one was Link's, when I suddenly found it. I remember the red door. His front porch used to be the meeting spot for the neighborhood children playing street games.

I approached it slowly. Link never talks much about his family. I'd heard him mention his sister briefly, but that's all I really know. I knocked timidly on the door and stepped back a bit, not sure what to expect. _  
><em>

The door swung open, and I was relieved to see Link.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting? How rude can you possibly..." I trailed off, my gaze frozen on his face.

Directly under his right eye was a large, purpling bruise. His eyes widened as he realized what I was looking at, and he slammed the door in my face.

For a second, I was stunned, trying to process what just happened. Then I was _really _pissed.

I slammed on the door with my fist. This time, I was greeted by a short man with a black beard and a beer belly. I recognized him; he was the man Link told me was a crazy drunk at Telma's.

"What?" he snapped, looking me over. I glared back at him, equally cross.

"Link is supposed to meet me for a school project," I told him coolly, wrinkling my nose. The man smelled of bad alcohol and tobacco.

"Link, meetin' with a pretty lil' thing like you? Ha! Likely story," he mused. "He ain't good enough for chicks like you." Hatred bubbled in my veins. He leaned back in the house and yelled, "Boy! Some girl's here!"

"His name is Link. Call him that," I snapped.

"Oh, shut up! I call 'im what I want 'cause I'm in charge. I don't need some whore telling me otherwise!"

"Excuse me?"

He grinned at me, revealing rows of yellow teeth. "Isn't that what you are? His little slut? I don't buy that studying shit, I bet ten minutes from now his hands will be up those little short shorts of yours-"

My temper snapped. "How _dare _you, you little-!"

"Zelda."

Link's voice interrupted me. I saw him standing behind his uncle, sliding his shoes on. The bruise was gone, though I could see a streak of concealer that hadn't been rubbed in. His uncle smirked at me and shoved Link out the door, sending him stumbling.

"You better be home before dark, boy. And that whore better not be with you!"

The red door was slammed in our faces. Link inhaled and exhaled.

There was a beat of silence before I couldn't take it anymore.

"He's a monster! A monster! How can you live with him, he hit you, didn't he? I should go report him right now-" Link grabbed both of my wrists, jerking me to look at him.

His blue eyes were wide.

"Look, you can't tell anyone, understand? There's nothing to tell anyway, I promise! They don't hit me, I fell. I'm so clumsy, it happens all the time!" he said, his words all rushing out in a frantic stream.

I looked him over skeptically, then reached up to rub in the remaining concealer beneath his eye, trying to be as gentle as I could. He winced as I touched the bruised skin.

"Alright. I won't tell, if they don't hit you. But if they didn't, why are you worried about me telling? And why are you covering up the bruise?" I asked softly.

"Well, I- It really isn't your business, is it, Zelda? They _don't _hit me. I covered it up because it's a rather ugly spot to have a bruise, and I can't have it marring my features," he explained releasing my wrists.

"If you say so. But I'm here, if you need to talk. Believe it or not, I actually listen to your incomprehensible ramblings from time to time," I said with a smile, weakly attempting to lighten the mood.

He grinned at me, his usual demeanor flooding back into his eyes.

"Shut up. Now, onto business. Aryll's on a walk, my aunt and uncle are doing whatever it is that they do, and they won't notice that their bikes are gone. Let's hope you're a fast learner so this afternoon won't be a total waste," he said, leading me around the side of their house.

Inside a small wood shed located in the alley between Link's house and their neighbor's, there were two bikes, one green, one purple. Link wheeled them both out, and we stared at them for a minute.

"Maybe we should just walk. I can't afford injury, I have a gymnastics meet tomorrow!" I chattered nervously, staring at the metal death trap on wheels.

Link shook his head and squeezed the tire, which gave away easily to his fingers.

"Where's your sense of adventure? We just need to pump the tires up, and we'll be golden like the Triforce. Now, go get me the air pump," Link commanded, bending down to unscrew something on one of the wheels.

I obeyed, retrieving him the pump and handing it to him. He connected the small pipe to a hole in the tire and began pumping the handle up and down. The tire gradually began filling up with air, growing firmer and ready to be ridden. We repeated the process of him pumping and me watching three more times for the other tires. Then he tossed the pump into the shed, and I knew I was doomed to actually have to get on one of the cursed machines. I had actually been hoping the tires would spontaneously combust or something.

"Alright. Watch," Link said, swinging himself onto the green bike. He pedaled with ease, quickly gaining speed. He stopped at the end of the alley, and looked back. "See, nothing to it! Come on, just try!"

I took a shaky breath and walked over to the purple bike, eyeing it warily. This is ridiculous. Not even children are scared of bikes. I'm almost seventeen! I can do this!

I grabbed the handle bars and flipped the kickstand up, straddling the bike.

"So I just pedal?"

"Pretty much!" Just try, and see those handle things on the handlebars? Those are the brakes. You squeeze them to stop. But squeeze both at a time, or you'll flip over the handlebars. Personal experience, trust me," Link called from his spot at the end of the alley.

I squeezed the brakes experimentally, then looked up at Link. He nodded at me to encourage me, then faked a huge yawn and gestured to me. I rolled my eyes and braced my first foot against the pedal, keeping the other one planted firmly on the ground. Keeping my eyes focused straight ahead, I started pedaling slowly towards Link.

"Hey! Hey, I'm doing it," I cried, my heart fluttering as the bike wobbled a little.

"Pedal a little faster, you're going too slow and if you don't balance soon, you'll-" the bike hit the ground with a crash, and I grit my teeth as my knee scraped against the stone. Link ran over and pulled the bike off of me.

"Hey, nice fall. You okay?" he asked, offering me a hand. I ignored it and pulled myself up, dusting off my leg.

"I'm fine, just a scrape," I said tightly, looking at the red and pink patch on my knee.

"Alright. Try again, and go a little faster this time. You can always brake if you need to," he reminded me.

I nodded and took the bike again, starting to pedal again. I made it farther this time, but I swerved and ran into a wall.

"See those things sticking out of the bike? They're called 'handles.' You can control the bike with them! Wow! Magic, right?" was Link's helpful advice.

I got on the bike again, eyeing my scraped elbows to match my knee. I began riding slowly, but fast enough, to the end of the alley. I gripped the handlebars tightly, and held them evenly to prevent the wheel from turning like last time. And slowly but surely, I made it to the other end of the alley, braking to stop next to Link's bike. I broke into a smile and turned to face Link, who had some form of an amused smile on his face, too.

"I did it! I rode a bike!" I announced triumphantly.

"Yeah, and now you can brag to the four year-olds. Can you make it to the end of the street?" he asked.

I nodded excitedly. "Of course I can!"

Unfortunately, the street was a bit of a hill. I fell twice and discovered how to slow myself down with the breaks. I eventually made it to the corner, where Link was leaned against the street sign, looking bored.

"Okay. I think I got it. Let's go," I said, braking next to him.

He raised his eyebrows at me. "If you say so. Let us set course for Hyrule Castle!" he proclaimed, climbing onto his bike.

"Aye, the wind is blowing in our favor, and it should be an easy trip there!" I agreed.

"Well, we have a crew member who hasn't quite gotten their sea legs yet, they met cause us several delays," Link teased.

"Oh, shut up!"

Link laughed, and we began to pedal. I noticed how much he seemed to be slowing down to match my pace. I'm sure if I wasn't there, he'd be off like a shot. However, seemed okay with our slow speed, save the occasional side comment.

"You know, that old lady might be walking faster than us."

"Good for her."

"Whoa! Did you see that blur? I think a turtle just passed!"

"Oh, you're funny."

"Why thank-"

"Funny lookin.'"

Link turned to look at me, a small smile playing on his lips. "And you're pretty."

"Pretty ugly?"

"Nah, I was leaving it at pretty. Unlike you, I am considerate of other's feelings and enjoy giving out compliments," he told me cheerfully, pedaling a little faster.

I rolled my eyes, keeping the same pace. I'm not going any faster, or I know I'll get hurt.

We were near the ocean now, and I could see all the happy families on the beach, and a couple kids from school sunbathing. Ilia was stretched out near us, wearing pink sunglasses and paging through a fashion magazine.

I didn't have too many trips to the beach as a child, but I remember the ones I had as lots of fun. We would come at night to avoid the crowds, and my father would buy me a grape popsicle. Then we'd play the "Constellation Game." We'd take turns naming constellations, one at a time, until one of us couldn't name one.

My father would usually win, smile at me, and then we'd spend the rest of the visit with him pointing out new stars and constellations to me. I won only once, and that was the proudest moment of my second grade life. We never went to the beach again after that.

"Zelda! Watch out for passing pedestrians!" Link yelled, and I instantly slammed on my breaks, almost flinging myself off the bike. I had stopped inches from hitting a boy crossing the road, and he glared at me as he passed.

"Sorry!" I called after him.

"Nice job," Link commented, pulling up alongside me.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and we waited for the rest of the crowd of people to cross the street to the beach before we began going again.

"I love the beach," Link said, as we crossed a bridge over the ocean. "When I get my own house, I want it to be by the ocean."

"Would you stay here or go elsewhere?"

"I don't know. Maybe I should just get a houseboat," he said with a shrug.

"Ugh, I'd get seasick."

"Where would you live?"

I thought for a moment. When I was very little, I wanted to live in the castle. Then I was set on moving to Skyloft City to ride the Loftwings. Now, I'm not sure.

"I like the beach too," I told him. "I don't know where I'll end up, but I'd like it by the beach."

"Well, you can't come on my houseboat. You'd probably throw up everywhere."

The castle began to grow closer now, no longer a silhouette in the skyline, but a looming giant that shadowed over us. I was beginning to see why Link wanted to bike; we arrived a lot faster than we would have if we had walked. There was a little further to go until the guardhouse and, of course, we had to go down a huge hill to get there.

I braked suddenly, and Link slammed on his breaks behind me, leaving black skid marks on the ground.

"Why are you stopping now?" he whined.

"I, uh, why dont' you go ahead and ride down the hill, I'll just walk my bike," I said, staring at the steep incline.

Link grinned evilly. "Oh, no you don't. You will be riding down that hill, either by choice or by me tying you to your bike," he declared.

"No, really. I just learned, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable going down the hill."

"Come on, chicken. You can do it," Link encouraged.

I gnawed on my cheek and looked out at the guardhouse. I guess it isn't _that _far...

"If I get hurt and am incapable of preforming in the meet tomorrow, I'll sic Ashei on you. Trust me, she'll bury you alive and dance on your grave," I muttered, wiping my sweaty hands on my shorts and regaining my grip on the handlebars.

"Deal. I'll brave your coach if you brave the hill. Ready? I'll go first," Link said, racing past me and down the hill.

He makes it looks so easy, almost like flying. Well, if he can do it, I can, right?

I took a breath and began pedaling down the hill. I was gaining speed quickly, and the wind was whipping through my hair. Hey, it's not so bad. It's actually kind of fun.

I allowed a nervous smile to creep onto my face. The slope ended, and I continued to go fast across the flat sidewalk. I did it! I saw Link smiling up ahead at the guardhouse, and I smiled back and started pedaling to retain my speed.

"Hey! See, you won't have to set your gymnastics team on me! Good job, Z!"

Of course, as soon as he said that, I started to brake, but my front tire hit a rock and the bike started to tilt and shake violently.

"Oh damn! Link, look out!" I cried.

His eyes widened, I closed my mine, and...

I heard metal crashing into metal, and Link cry out. I flew off the bike, hitting the ground so hard it knocked the wind out of me before rolling and landing on something soft.

"Ow..." I moaned, opening my eyes. The two bikes were tangled up, wheels still spinning. I bit my lip, feeling a little guilty. I started to sit up, when I felt something move beneath me.

"As much as I like you, Zelda, I'd really appreciate it if you'd get off me!" Link snapped beneath me.

"Oh!" I felt the blood rising to my face, and I rolled off of him. He sucked in a deep breath and lay flat on the grass.

"I wasn't sure which would kill me, that fall or your knee in my windpipe," he said, looking up at the clouds.

"I'm sorry!" I apologized, sitting up and rubbing my head. The scrape on my leg was now a cut, and a small trickle of blood was running down my leg.

"You okay?" Link asked, eyeing the dark liquid.

"I'm fine. You?" I asked.

"You broke my dignity," he moaned, lying back down.

I rolled my eyes and dragged myself up, when a castle guard approached, clad in his traditional shining silver armor and wielding a sword sheathed at his side.

"Are you two alright? That was quite a fall you took there," he said, offering a hand to Link. Link eyed the hand for a second before taking it and allowing the guard to pull him up.

"We're fine. My friend here is just an an absolute moron and doesn't know how to ride a bike," he explained.

The guard chuckled at my furious expression. "It appears that she thinks differently. Alright, then. I'm assuming you wish to access the Library?"

"Yes, sir," I said, pulling blades of grass out of my hair.

"Right then. I'll open the gates for you," he said, walking back into the guard tower. We walked over to pick up our bikes, and a moment later, the portcullis began to rise slowly, freeing our path to the castle. We wheeled our bikes through, and I marveled at the immensity of the grounds. To our right was a lake with pure white swans swimming gracefully in its midst, and to the left was a large orchard that seemed to stretch on forever.

"Can you imagine living here?" Link asked, looking around as well.

"No. I'd get lost!"

"I bet they have signs. Like 'You are Here', and arrows to get to other rooms," Link said thoughtfully.

I laughed as we approached the large castle. We left our bikes at a rack, entered another guarded gate, then found ourselves at the large stone steps of the library.

"Dinsake, I just got run into by a speeding bike and now I have to walk up the never-ending staircase? Zelda, carry me," he ordered, holding his arm out to me.

"Not in your lifetime," I said, shoving him aside and starting the trek up the stairs.

"I'm counting these. This is ridiculous," Link declared. "One, two, three..."

As it turned out, there were exactly two hundred stairs. Link seemed to be very perturbed by this.

"Two hundred stairs! What a waste. Think of all those perfectly good stairs we could have donated to the poor, " Link said, shaking his head sadly. "Shame."

I laughed. "I'm not quite sure what they'd want with a bunch of stairs."

"Who doesn't want a bunch of stairs, Zelda?" he asked, opening the door for me. "They could build things with them. Use your head."

I didn't reply, turning in circles to take in the library. I thought the school library was big, but this dwarfed it in comparison. The ceilings rose so high you almost couldn't see them, and bookcases stretched nearly as tall. You needed ladders and sometimes small staircases to reach the top shelves! Whispers could be heard, and people milled about quietly, examining bookshelves, lounging in comfy armchairs, or staring the historical paintings that hung on the walls.

"Wow. How have I never been here?" I asked, running my hand along a shelf.

"I'm scared of cavernous spaces and allergic to libraries. We should probably leave," Link said behind me.

"We don't have time for your weird little antics now. We need to find a librarian to find books on Creation!" I snapped.

"Chill. I suggest we try the librarian's desk, because for some odd reason, librarians tend to hang around there," he said, turning me around towards the front desk.

A girl around our age, maybe a little older, with silver glasses and soft blonde hair smiled at us as we approached. Or, more specifically, smiled at Link, who smiled back, running a hand through his hair. I rolled my eyes. Gods save me.

"Hi, welcome to the Castle Library. What can I get for you?" she asked Link sweetly, leaning forward a bit in her chair.

"Hey, Tatl," he said, reading her nametag. She giggled and blushed, and I resisted the urge to gag. "We're looking for books on Creation... Could you help with that?" he asked. Tatl giggled again and nodded, twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

"Anything for you," she said flirtatiously. "Right this way!"

I resisted the urge to throw myself out the nearest window and followed Link and Tatl through the maze of bookshelves, almost all the way to the very back, until the librarian stopped.

"Here, this entire shelf should have the books you need. Call anytime, I'll be here to help," she said with a wink. Then she turned on her heel and flounced away, attempting to swing her hips just a little more than usual.

"That was disgusting."

"What do you mean?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. She was just being nice," he explained.

"No, she was just trying to get in your pants," I giggled.

Link shook his head, his cheeks slightly pink. "You're disgusting and you need to leave."

"Mm, no, you need me. Now, we need to find books!" I exclaimed, clapping my hands together and peering through the shelves at the countless novels.

Sure enough, all the titles pertained to Creation; not a mixed up jumble like at the school library. I pulled out a thick brown novel and blew dust off of the cover, revealing embossed gold lettering: _True Stories of Creation_. Perfect.

I set it down by my feet and started leafing through the other titles. _Creation: Secrets Revealed, Divine Creation, The Hero, the Princess and Creation; _I set them all down in my pile. I looked over and found Link sorting through books in a similar manner.

"This'll be perfect! We'll finish research this weekend, then we can start to write it and be done by next Friday!" I exclaimed. Oh, I love it when a project all falls into place!

"We'll get the best grade in class and graduate with honors!" Link said enthusiastically. I smiled at him.

"You know Link, I was kind of dreading doing this project with you and spending all this time with you, but you know, it's not that bad. I'm having a lot of fun, and I wouldn't want to do this project with anyone else."

Something changed in his eyes, something very slight.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Thanks for doing this and putting your best effort in," I told him with a real, bright, genuine smile.

"Thanks Z. And you know... uh, can I ask you a question?" he asked. His face was pink and I grew a little curious.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I was wondering... maybe, if you would want to, I don't know, um..."

Something deep in my heart stirred and I leaned forward, waiting for him to finish the sentence.

"What I'm trying to say is, Zelda, will you-"

"Hey! I didn't know you guys were here!" a voice called out, interrupting Link.

We turned to see Midna and Sheik approaching us.

"Yeah, we didn't know you were here either. Maybe we wouldn't have come!" Link snapped, glaring at a grinning Sheik, who stood next to Midna.

I tried smiling to catch her eye, but she continued to stare down, inspecting her worn out track shoes.

"Midna decided it was a good idea. We were running out of books," Sheik told us.

"Yeah, us too. We just came to get a couple books, and then we'll probably get something to eat," Link said. He seemed a little mad.

Sheik nodded. "I feel you man. I've been trying to get Midna to let me eat something for the past hour, but she insisted on coming here. Maybe we could all go grab something when we're done?" he suggested.

"We could go to Telma's, yeah?" I cursed myself mentally. I've been hanging around Ashei _way_ too much.

"Mmm, Telma's. Best onion rings ever. You game, Midna?" Sheik asked. Midna looked up abruptly at the sound of her name, then nodded.

"Oh, yeah, Sounds good," she said. I narrowed my eyes at her. I don't think she even heard a word we said in the past minute.

"It's unanimous!" Link cried, climbing up a ladder to reach a book with a dazzling gold cover. "I like this one. I call reading it," he said to me. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever you say."

"Whatever I say? Hm, that could get dangerous," Link said, jumping down from the ladder. "First, I'll have a yacht. Then my own island. Then an unlimited supply of Telma's onion rings, gummi bears, and-"

Sheik cut him off. "Farore, you're annoying. How do you put up with him, Zelda?" he asked teasingly. I pretended to think his question over.

"Well, I wear invisible earplugs and nod thoughtfully whenever I feel like he wants me to agree with something," I said. "It's quite simple, actually."

"Ooo, invisible earplugs! Tell me where to get em'. I'll take five!" Sheik declared, his reddish eyes smiling. Link snorted.

"Invisible earplugs, how ridiculous. Who's heard of something as stupid as invisible earplugs?" he asked, setting his gold book down and eyeing the bag I had brought along. "Hey, how many books can that thing hold? We're at like ten right now."

I looked into the bag, which has been used to tote everything from gymnastics clothes to a crab Agitha and I found at the beach when we were eight.

"I bet we could fit thirteen."

"Thirteen? Doubt it. It looks kind of small," Sheik said, looking it over skeptically.

"It's a_ magic_ bag, moron. Of course it can carry thirteen!" Link said, grabbing another book.

I laughed and carefully loaded the eleven books we had into the bag, arranging them so they would use as little space as possible.

"Well some of us mundanes don't have magic bags like you elves, so we can only carry ten," Midna announced, scaring us all. She plucked two books from their places on the shelves and dropped them into her black backpack. Frayed friendship bracelets we had woven together hung off almost every zipper, and stickers from old track meets were staring to peel off the fabric.

"Did you just call me an elf?" Link asked incredulously, feeling his pointed ears.

Midna has always felt like she has to frequently remind me that I have Hylian ears, which are slightly pointed like an elf's. For a while she would call me "pointy" or tell me to go back to my tree, and I would yell at her, ignore her, and try pointing out that Tetra felt left out because no one made fun of her pointy ears, but nothing would dissuade Midna's iron will.

"Sure. Whatcha gonna do about it, pointy?" Midna asked him with a wink in my direction.

"Kick your ass!" Link declared.

"Whoa, guys, calm down. You can't do this here, it's a library," I told them with a laugh.

"She's right. I hereby challenge thee to a duel outside on the castle grounds in ten minutes," Link said, staring Midna in the eye with a serious look. Midna's eyes narrowed.

"You're going down, elf-boy!"

Link turned to me and said, "Hurry up and find two more books. I have a duel I need to prepare for!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes, putting another book into my bag.

"Why do I put up with all of you?" I asked.

"Because we're pleasant company and enjoyable to be around?" Sheik suggested.

"No, that's not it," I said. Sheik looked over at Link, his face portraying mock-hurt. Link nodded sympathetically.

"I feel you, man. She's mean."

"I'm not mean, I just get frustrated in the company of stupid people," I replied, shoving another book into the book bag.

Midna laughed quietly as she sifted through her own books, dropping one in her backpack. "I'm done with our books. Geez, this wasn't worth the long bike ride. Ready, Elda-Zay?" she asked, standing up and swinging her backpack over her shoulder.

I put one last book into my bag, pushing the number to fourteen, before zipping it shut and standing up next to her.

"Ready, Idna-May. Let's go," I said as we made our way through the paths of bookshelves. Tatl wiggled her fingers at Link as he passed the desk, and he waved back in return, ignoring my snickers and Sheik's weird looks.

"Taking a liking to our local librarians, are we now, Link?" Sheik asked once we were back outside.

"I take a liking to everybody," Link responded, looking over at Midna as we jogged down the stairs. "Why the hell are you wearing a sweatshirt?"

Midna looked at him like a deer in headlights, before averting her gaze and mumbling, "I get... cold..."

Hm. Usually Midna is the first to break out her tank tops and flip-flops. But why is she making a huge deal about these tattoos? Her mom won't be mad for too long... I bet she'll only be grounded for a month... Still, it bothers me how she won't talk about them to anyone, not even me.

"You're cold? It's eighty five degrees."

"Yeah... You know what? I believe it is time for our duel!" she said to Link, changing the subject just like that. Link nodded enthusiastically and a childish grin spread across his face.

"Alright, we're going to do this properly. Stand back-to-back," Sheik commanded. They did as instructed. "Now walk ten paces ahead of you Strut like a model... Stop. That was painful to watch. Now ready... set... turn!"

They both whirled around, their fingers both pointed out like a gun.

"I win!" Midna cried.

"No way! You didn't make the noise! Bam! I win!" Link yelled. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, duel's over. Let's get food, I'm starving," I said, a slight whine in my voice.

"I'm always up for some food! Wait, let me carry the book bag; it'll set you off-balance and you'll fall," Link said, relieving my shoulder of the heavy bag.

"Oh, thanks, I guess."

"You 'guess'? I'm going to buy you onion rings, you better not be second-guessing your thanks" he told me, picking up his bike.

"Fine, I'm fully thankful. But I better get a lemonade with those onion rings."

He smiled and shifted the weight of the books to the front on his bike. "Deal."

"Hey, losers! Race ya!" Sheik called, riding past us like a flash. Midna followed close behind, a wild grin on her face as she sped after Sheik.

"Oh, they're on. Come on, Z!" he called, riding after them.

"You'll be eating my dust!" I promised, pedaling after them.

Twenty minutes, five hills, and twelve crosswalks later, I rode up in front of Telma's, where Midna, Sheik, and Link already stood waiting.

"You're slow," Sheik commented as I slid off my bike.

"And you're a jerk. I just learned today!" I snapped, breathing heavily.

"We better get the bear some food," Link said, smiling understandingly at me as he opened the tavern door. I walked inside, relieved at the cool, air-conditioned air.

Telma smiled widely as we entered, making her way over to us.

"Welcome welcome," she greeted as she pulled out four menus from her stack. "How are you rascals this evening?"

"Up to our usual no-good business," Link responded. "And we don't need menus, we already know what we want."

"You practically have it memorized anyway," Telma agreed, setting the menus back down.

"Actaully, I do have it memorized. Want to hear? Appetizers, fried pickles with a homemade sauce priced at-"

"You're such a show-off," Telma said, smacking Link playfully across the head. "Come this way please."

She led us to a table by the window with four chairs. Midna quickly sat down to be next to Sheik, so I took the spot next to Link.

"What do you want?" Telma asked, putting her hands on her hips and cocking an eyebrow at Link.

"Large basket of onion rings and a lemonade for Zelda," he recited.

"And I want water," Sheik added. Telma nodded.

"Coming right up."

She strutted, Telma rarely seems to just walk, back into the kitchen, and Link reclined back in his chair.

"Nothing like Telma's," he said.

"I tried nominating her for mayor, but Ilia's dad won instead," Sheik said to no one in particular, taking one of the sugar packets by the table and pouring it into his mouth. I cringed.

"Personally, I think Telma should be Queen," Link said.

"She's that good, eh?" I asked, turning to look at him. Link nodded solemnly.

"Better, even."

"Here's the water," Telma said, materializing by our table and setting Sheik's drink down, "And here's the lemonade. Onion rings will be out in a second."

I didn't reply; I was too busy staring at the lemonade. The first thing I noticed were the two paper umbrellas, colors red and pink. The second thing was that there were _two_ straws. I turned to say something to Telma, but she was already striding back into the kitchen, chuckling quietly to herself as she went.

"Not cool," Link said, also staring at the drink.

"She has a twisted sense of humor."

"What, two straws in a drink? I think it's cute," Midna giggled, wiggling her eyebrows at me. My cheeks flushed pink.

"No, it's embarrassing!" I cried, shoving the drink away.

"Well, I have no pride. Also I'm thirsty," Link declared, taking a sip out of one of the straws. I put my face in my hands and shook my head. He's hopeless.

"Onion rings, right here!" Telma announced, setting the basket down in front of us. "Call if you need anything else."

Who needs anything else? I have onion rings, a slightly contaminated lemonade, and... Link. I smiled and grabbed one of the warm, greasy onion rings and took a bite, savoring the flavor. Mm.

Whenever my father and I go out, it's always to this prestigious restaurant with too many forks where I'm forced to sit up rod straight and always use my best manners. The menu consists of overpriced food at way too small portions, and it's good, but I'm always left feeling still hungry and still empty.

Here at Telma's, it's warm, friendly, and I can eat it with my fingers. I took another onion ring and a sip of the lemonade, making sure it was the straw Link hadn't taken.

"Thanks for dinner," I said to Link, who was busy stuffing an onion ring in his mouth.

"No problem," he said, his voice muffled because of the food in his mouth.

"Yeah, thanks man. I was famished!" Sheik exclaimed, reaching in for another onion ring. Midna nodded and picked at her own onion ring, not saying anything.

"Mid? You okay?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired. I think I'm gonna go. Thanks for the food," she added to Link as she grabbed her backpack and walked away. I followed her with my eyes until she disappeared through the tavern door.

"Has she been like that all afternoon?" I asked Sheik. He nodded.

"I don't think she slept last night, and she might have a fever," he said thoughtfully.

"It would explain the cold in eighty degrees thing," Link agreed, taking a drink of the lemonade.

"I'm a little worried for her," I said. "She's been acting like a zombie lately."

"Agreed. She's been tired and grouchy. This morning she told me she'd like to sell me to a pack of cannibals," Sheik told us.

"Zelda threatened to cut my mouth off and stick it up my ass," Link offered.

"Ooo, that's good! One time, Midna called me a big lazy-"

They launched into a mildly disgusting, inappropriate conversation of threats Midna and I conveyed to them at one point in time. Most of them were slightly exaggerated. I crossed my arms and glared at them.

"I did _not_ say those things," I argued, taking another drink of lemonade.

"You said most of them. So what if I tweaked a couple words here there? I assure you, they're eighty-five percent accurate," Link said, yanking the last onion ring out of Sheik's hand, who responded by slapping his hand, grabbing the onion ring and shoving it in his mouth, sticking his tongue out at Link.

"It's usually polite to let the lady have the last onion ring," I told them.

"Not at Telma's!" they both chorused. I rolled my eyes and took a last long sip of the refreshing lemonade.

"Next time, I better be getting that last onion ring, or I _will _find a pack of desperately hungry cannibals. Now let's pay and leave; it's getting stuffy in here," I said, pushing away from the table and standing up. Link and Sheik stood up and walked behind me, walking to the front counter. Telma leaned forward by the cash register.

"That'll come to about eleven Rupees, please," she said with her warm smile. Link dug in his pocket and pulled out a five, Sheik produced three...

"I'm spent," Link hissed.

"Here." I reached into my pocket and lay down the remaining three we needed.

"Have a good night, darlins'," Telma said as we walked out.

"Thanks for bailing us out!" Sheik exclaimed. "I mean, Telma would have let us get away with it, but I always feel bad short changing her."

"No problem. Thanks for the entertainment," I replied with a small smile. Sheik laughed.

"Very welcome! I gotta hit the road. The mother will be worrying. See you all Monday!" he called as he pedaled away on his bike. Link saluted him as he left.

"Well, today was productive!" he declared, picking his bike up and slinging my bag over his shoulder. I nodded and got on my own bike.

"Yeah, I rode a bike, crashed a bike, visited the Castle Library, witnessed a duel, and had the legendary Telma's. It was a good day," I said with another one of my real smiles. He seems to make me smile a lot, even when he's not saying something funny.

"Sounds good to me!"

"It was. Thanks for paying the majority of dinner."

"Yeah, it was a lot cheaper with only one lemonade," he teased. I flushed slightly.

"Maybe that'll work from now on. Just one lemonade," I said, braking slightly to avoid hitting an old man.

"Really?"

"Maybe."

We turned onto my street and both braked simultaneously by my house. He opened the bag and gave me seven of the fourteen books.

"What about the bike?" I asked.

"Keep it. They won't notice it's gone," he assured me. I looked up at him and saw the concealer was coming off a bit; some purple was visible beneath the thin coat of skin color.

"Okay. Thanks, Link. And if you ever need to talk, or if you... fall again, come see me," I said quietly. His eyes hardened, and he nodded.

"Right. Bye Z."

"See you," I called as he rode off down the street.

I leaned the bike against the front of our house, then hauled my load of books inside, struggling to open the door with my arms full of books. Once inside, I dumped the new books on the table and kicked the door closed behind me.

What is with me lately? I'm becoming less and less annoyed with him, even if I act angry. I'm not. He's just... I don't know. And I'm smiling and laughing, and... I don't recognize myself anymore.

When he started to ask me something in the library, I had been hopeful for something. I don't know what, but I wanted something right there. And when Telma brought that cup with two straws... I sighed.

There's a name for this feeling, I know there is, but I forget what it is. For once, I forget. I don't forget anything. My father likes to call me a walking encyclopedia.

Sighing, I flopped down on the couch with a book. Maybe reading will get my mind off things. I started to open the book, but froze, staring at the title.

_The Hero and the Princess: A Love__ Story._


	9. Chapter 8

**Thanks to all you nice reviewers, thanks for the encouragement Kamil, and Kat, I hope you feel better :( Ooh it's snowin outside! Sorrry, I'm distracted. Now let's get on with this chapter!**

**~Leila**

**Edited: 10/27/14**

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight (Link)<p>

I rode my bike as slowly as possible, each pedal I took becoming heavier as I drew nearer to my house. I was late. Really late.

I'd known that since we were biking home from the Library. I could have left, made an excuse as to why I had to leave, but I chose to stay.

I had been so close to asking her what I've wanted to ever since fourth grade when I discovered that girls didn't have cooties. So close to saying those simple six words: Will you go out with me?

Why couldn't I just say it? Why does she have the power to render me, the kid who never shuts up, completely speechless? I have jumped off cliffs, swam through dangerous currents, and picked fights with kids way bigger than me, but I can't ask some girl out on a date? But she's not just some girl, she's _Zelda_. Zelda who punched me in the face in sixth grade. Zelda who can't ride a bike. Zelda who color codes her pens from lightest to darkest.

I pulled the bike slowly into the shed, making every movement as slow as I possibly could. If I'm lucky, they're out drinking, which is a likely possibility. They could have left Aryll, commanding her to tell them when I return, but she won't. If they remember to ask her in the morning, she'll tell them I made it right on time.

I smiled to myself. I'm lucky I have her. If I didn't, I don't know what I'd do. I'd having nothing to hold onto, and as much as I'd like to deny it, I would have been one of those kids that picks fights in alleys and steals from old women. But with Aryll here, I know that won't happen. She wouldn't allow it.

Figuring I'd play it safe, I climbed up the front of our house and into our shared bedroom. Curiously, Aryll was nowhere to be seen. I frowned, and crept out of the hallway and into the small bathroom. My bruise was returning; the concealer was wearing off.

Sighing, I flung the drawer containing my stuff open and dug around until I produced the small container of peach-colored cream. My aunt never notices it's gone; the only makeup she applies is layer upon layer of black eyeliner and glitter.

Trying not to wince, I gently rubbed the concealer into my bruised cheek. I've become a master at hiding my bruises over the years. Usually, they make them where they won't show, but when they forget, I'm prepared. I've perfected the art of applying makeup to a fine point; even Aryll can't tell where the bruise had originally been.

I stared into the mirror at the boy looking back at me. At first glance, you'd say he was normal. No bruises, no shadows under his eyes. On second glance you might notice how hollow his eyes are, or how skinny he is, but still normal. It's amazing how much a thin layer of makeup can conceal, how many secrets you can hide with only that.

I heard some frantic whispers, and I turned away from the mirror, stuffing the tub of concealer back into my drawer. I walked slowly out of the bathroom, following the noise, and the whispers led me to our room. The door was closed, though I was sure I had left it open, and a strange blue light was seeping out through the cracks in the door. I pressed my ears against the door, trying to catch any fragments of the conversation occurring inside.

"Your Grace, we're running out of time!" an unfamiliar, obviously feminine voice hissed. I heard a sigh.

"I know, Navi, but I've told you, there are certain preparations we need to make, and I- I'm not ready yet," a second voice said. This voice was Aryll's, only instead of her usual childish tone, she sounded... older. Sadder.

"Your Grace, we both knew this time was coming. We knew you'd have to leave eventually, and part of leaving means saying goodbye to the boy. Remember, he was _Aryll's_ brother."

"Yes, but I _am_ Aryll, Navi! Don't you understand?" my sister cried, the frustration in her voice evident.

What? What was she talking about leaving for?

I cracked the door open a tiny bit, trying to stay as quiet as I could. I could see Aryll sitting cross legged, a serious expression on her face and her harp in her lap. The blue light was stronger, illuminating her face and casting shadows around the room, but I still couldn't identify its source.

"Correct, you are Aryll. But think, you've been Aryll for ten years, barely a blink of an eye for you. There's so much at stake now, Your Grace, that you can't afford to be sentimental and cling to those ten years. You have to hold on to the thousands of years, the thousands of years you spent planning this and preparing for this exact moment. You can't lose that all because of your attachment to a mortal boy."

I was overwhelmed now. What is going on in there? I stumbled forward a bit, causing the door to creak. Aryll stiffened, and the light was doused instantly. She turned to look over her shoulder, and smiled when she saw me.

"Oh, hey Link. Have fun with Zelda?" she asked, as if nothing had happened. I blinked, and took a couple of steps into the room.

"Yeah, I did," I said carefully, looking around for any suspicious glowing lights or mutant fireflies.

"Good. I like her, she seems like a really nice girl."

"She is. Now, _Your Grace_, what have you been doing all this time?" I asked, leaning against the wall.

Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch and her posture went rigid as I said "Your Grace," but in an instant, it was all gone and she was looking at me with mild curiosity.

"I took a walk, fed the seagulls, then came here and was playing with my dolls. See?" she waved a rag doll in my face. "This one is the immortal Queen, and this one is her advisor. They're preparing for war," she explained.

I narrowed my eyes at her, looking for an explanation for the light, then saw a flashlight laying on the bed, the bulb painted over with my aunt's blue nail polish.

"Oh. Well. You play weird doll games. Most kids play tea party, not 'war and angst,'" I said, sitting on the floor beside her. She giggled and scooted in next to me.

"I'm not most kids though, am I?"

"No, you're certainly not," I agreed. "You're weird."

"Oh, like you're not," she said, laying her head on my chest.

"Of course not. I'm stunningly gorgeous, incredibly charming, and extremely valiant! No one compares to me," I exclaimed.

"People usually find modesty as a good quality."

"What's modesty? I laugh in its face."

"Modesty: the state of not being a total jackoff and being humble," Aryll recited.

"That is _not _the dictionary definition."

"Okay, maybe not the jackoff part. But it's pretty close to that."

I sighed and held her close to me, running my fingers through her hair and making a horrible attempt at a braid.

My mother used to tease me whenever my hair grew too long, claiming I looked like a girl. And to prove her point, she'd hold me in her lap and braid my hair. I used to get so mad about that, but now I still wish she was here to do that. Even if all she did was braid my hair, I wouldn't mind.

At least she'd be here. As if sensing my depressing thoughts, Aryll turned over and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"What if you had to save Hyrule?" she asked. Where the hell did _that_ come from?

"What? Like by myself? I don't get a witty sidekick?"

"No, you get a sidekick. Who would it be?"

"Um..." I thought for a second. My first instinct was to say Sheik or Roy, but would I really need one of them to help me save Hyrule? I'd need someone smart. Someone I could count on, who'd keep me going... "Zelda," I said finally.

Aryll looked at me, but her face wasn't teasing. It was dead serious. "You really like her, don't you?" she asked.

"Yeah I do. But I wouldn't take her along to save Hyrule because of that. It's because she's smart, resourceful and athletic. She would make a fantastic witty sidekick, minus the witty part. She's just mean," I told her with a grin.

Aryll giggled a bit. "Well, if you really think she-" she was cut off by loud, obviously intoxicated voices and the slamming of our front door.

Dammit. I stood up, ready to shut our door, when a thunderous shout rang through the house, practically causing an earthquake and damaging my eardrums.

"HEY! BOY, C'MERE I WANNA TALK T' YOU!"

"My name is Link! And I'm coming!" I snapped back, squeezing Aryll's hand a last time before walking downstairs.

I arrived downstairs to see my uncle and two of his drunk friends, who were looking at me with an odd mixture of amusement and contempt. My aunt was nowhere in sight.

"What."

He grabbed me by my collar and pulled me to him, his eyes blazing with a familiar drunken fury. My heart began to race.

"Do y'know how late you are?" he hissed.

He reeked of cigarette smoke, and I wrinkled my nose and wrenched his hand off my shirt.

"Yeah, I was a litte late today. So what."

"He was out with some blonde whore today," he said, turning to his friends who chuckled and muttered things I would rather not repeat.

My face flushed. "She's not a whore, she's my friend. Just because every girl _you_ bring home is a whore doesn't mean I have the same shitty taste!" I snapped.

A hand cracked across my face. Warm blood trickled from my nose, tasting coppery in my mouth. His friends laughed while he grinned triumphantly, licking his lips.

"Look, boy. I don't need your talking. Gods, I want nothing more than to cut yer tongue right outta your skull," he told me while his friends still chuckled.

I said nothing, trying to maintain my calm and steady my breathing. The best thing to do, I learned, was to stay quiet and wait until he got bored.

"You know? You really just piss me off," he said. I got a blow to the head, knocking me against the wall. My vision blurred, but it cleared up just in time for me to see his hand fly into my stomach. I doubled over and sank to my knees, clutching my stomach.

Their laughter rang in my ears.

"E'er since they dropped you on our doorstep, you've been nothin' but disrespectful." Another blow to the head. "You're nothin' but a burden, y'hear? You're nothin'!"

His speech was so slurred and my head was buzzing, so I had difficulty making out his words.

"This'll teach ya!"

My eyes widened as he picked up a chair, raising it over his head. His two stupid little friends were laughing and cheering. I cringed, awaiting the massive pain sure to come, when a shrill voice stopped him.

"What are you doing? Don't you _dare _hurt my brother!" I saw Aryll jump at him, knocking the chair from his grasp. He stood, stunned for a moment, and Aryll ran over to me. "Oh, goddesses, are you okay? Oh, your nose is bleeding. Oh Link," she sighed, tears stinging her eyes. I wiped my nose on my sleeve.

"I'um okay, Aryll. My head hurts doh," I said thickly. Aryll nodded.

"Come on, let's get you upsta-"

It seemed to happen in slow motion. I watched as my uncle's hand cracked out like a whip and made contact with Aryll's cheek. She stumbled backwards, and fell to the floor. A big, ugly handprint was marked on her cheek. My uncle laughed triumphantly.

"Bitch," he hissed.

I snapped. Anger coursed through me like blood in my veins, and I did something I never have dared to do ever. I fought back. I hurled myself at my uncle, catching him by surprise and knocking him over, then I began punching him repeatedly, over and over, payback for every single time he laid a hand on me.

"Don't you EVER touch her!" I snarled, ignoring his grunts as my fist came in contact with his face. "I will KILL you if you EVER do it again!"

I felt two pairs of hands grab my shoulders and throw me off my uncle, and I fell sprawling on the floor. _Oh, Nayru, what did I just do? _

My uncle pulled himself up, his face covered in blood and malice gleaming in his eyes. Aryll scurried up the stairs, and I backed away slowly.

"You," he spat, "You filthy, stupid, no good, worthless boy!" he growled as he came near me. I backed away slowly.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, "I didn't mean-"

He roared as he dove at me, leaving me little time to turn around and run. He grabbed at my shirt, missing by inches, and I scrambled into the kitchen.

"I'm going to kill you!" he bellowed, his face red. "KILL you, boy! Understand?"

I nodded and ducked another of his blows. I saw his friends behind me, and quickly dropped to the floor before either of them could touch me. I crawled towards main entryway, hoping to get away...

I felt a hand grab mine, and I stiffened and looked up, but saw Aryll instead. She was holding her harp, her telescope, and had a small backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Let's go," she urged. "We can't be here tonight!"

As if to prove her point, a crash was heard from the kitchen, followed by a roar. I grabbed her arm and threw open the door, and we started running. Not to anywhere in particular, just away from there. Away from the devil himself, away from hell. As we ran, we heard yells from behind us.

"I'll get you, boy! Both of you damn children! And so help me Din, when I do, I'll kill you!"

I made the mistake of looking back as we ran. There, glinting in the moonlight in my uncle's hand, was a kitchen cleaver. He wasn't kidding. I felt nauseous and stumbled a bit, but turned forward and kept running with Aryll.

"Where... where are we going to go?" Aryll asked, breathless from the running. I slowed my pace a little and looked around. The street was very familiar.

"Here," I said, running up one of the porches and pounding on the door.

Please say she's awake and willing to help, please... The door swung open, revealing a surprised looking Zelda. She was in short zebra print shorts and a baggy pink sweatshirt advertising some regional gymnastics meet. Her eyes widened as she saw us.

"What-"

"I fell!" I blurted. "I fell hard. Can we sleep here tonight?"

Zelda nodded, speechless and led us inside. "Oh my goddesses, what happened? You need to get those treated!" she cried, looking at one of my abundant bruises. I shook my head.

"Get Ayrll in bed first," I said. She looked at me, her blue eyes full of worry, but she nodded.

"Here, sweetie," she said, leading Aryll up the stairs. "Let's get you settled in."

I watched as they disappeared upstairs, and I staggered into the living area and collapsed on one of the couches. Suddenly, I was exhausted.

What happened? What did I do? _There's nothing you could do. It wasn't your fault. _The all too familiar words played through my head again. But it _was_ my fault. It always is.

"Link?" I looked up at the sound of the soft voice.

Zelda stood, leaning against a wall, her arms crossed. "We need to talk. Come here," she commanded. I nodded and followed her up the stairs. The stone felt like ice agains my bare feet, and I shivered slightly.

"Your sister's asleep in there," Zelda said, gesturing, "Now come on."

She pushed open a door, and as soon as I stepped into the room, I noticed the obvious temperature diference. This room was a volcano compared to the rest of the house.

I waded my way through the piles of clothes strewn on the floor over to the window seat, where Zelda was perched and waiting. She opened it and climbed up. I followed, up onto the roof, where she stood with her hands on her hips and her blue eyes cold and serious.

"The truth. Now," she demanded.

The truth? Sometimes the truth is better kept hidden. The truth isn't what you want to hear. But I found myself swallowing hard, and talking. Actually talking.

It all seemed to rush out of me, like someone broke a dam or pulled the drain on a bathtub. I told her how my uncle and aunt abused me. About their drinking, smoking, clubbing, and sex habits. About how I've raised my sister by myself ever since I was six. And she listened. She stood there, her eyes sympathetic and her expression intent, and she took in every single word I said.

"But please, please don't tell _anyone_," I finished. "At all, you can't. Only you and Sheik know, so keep it like that, okay? I'm seventeen in like a week and a half, and then I can move out and live by myself with Aryll as a legal adult."

For a moment, she just stared at me, her expression unreadable. I turned away, expecting unwanted sympathy or for her to storm off and tell, but she didn't.

"Alright," she said simply.

Alright. I let out a breath, and turned to face her again. "Look, Z, I can't thank you enoug-" she waved me off and started to climb off of the roof.

"None of that. Now come here, we need to get you taken care of."

I smiled and climbed down after her and back into her room. She instructed me to stay put on the window seat, and disappeared into her bathroom. I leaned my head against the cool glass and looked at the sliver of moon that was visible tonight.

My heart was still racing, partially from my encounter with my uncle, partially from my heavy confession. The truth isn't something I'm used to dealing out. The truth is almost always better kept hidden.

She came back in with a small tube of antiseptic and a damp cloth. She gently wiped the blood off my face, taking the concealer with it, and I was me again. No makeup to hide it. Then she uncapped the antiseptic and rubbed along a cut I wasn't aware I had gotten.

"Honestly Link," she sighed as she rubbed the stinging cream into my cut, "You can be really stupid sometimes. Why didn't you just tell someone?" she asked. I shrugged.

"It's not really something you bring into casual conversation." She nodded and capped the tube once more.

"Understood. But you, I mean you really should have... Oh forget it. You did what you thought was right," she said, throwing the cloth and the cream to the ground.

"Your room is way too messy," I commented. She looked around and shrugged.

"I like it. I prefer to think of it as cozy," she told me, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Cozy? I've seen hobos with cleaner boxes than your room!" I remarked. She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Jerk. Don't judge me by my room."

"Too late," I teased. She giggled then yawned.

"Look, I have a big gymnastics meet tomorrow, and I need to rest for it. If you and Aryll don't mind watching, we can go do something afterwards."

"Do something?"

"You know, the three of us," she clarified. Her cheeks were slightly pink. "So you can go sleep with Aryll if you want, or you can have the window seat. Your choice."

"Well, I'm not really feeling like physical movement right now, so I'll take the window seat," I told her.

She nodded and walked over to grab a pillow and blanket off her bed, tossing them to me.

"Alright then. Um, goodnight," she said, crawling under her covers.

"Goodnight Zelda. By the way, does it make you uncomfortable that we're sleeping in the same room?" I asked.

She groaned and turned over so that she wasn't facing me. I laughed and did the same, so I was facing the window. The stars winked down at me softly, as if trying to assure me that I'm going to be okay. I took a deep breath in and out.

I am going to be okay, at least for now. _I'm alright. You're alright. We're alright._ Those are the words Aryll whispers to me every time I wake up from a nightmare. No matter what the dream is, whether it's my parents, Aryll hurt, or the devil himself, those words can calm me down in an instant.

And they're true. Right now, I'm alright, she's alright, and we're alright. I'm sleeping in Zelda Fairchild's room for goddess' sakes! I roll over to look at her one last time, and see that she's rolled over as well and is facing me, sound asleep. Her lips are curved into a smile, and she looks beautiful with the moonlight spilling onto her face.

I turn away and look back out at the sky.

_I'm okay. _


	10. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the mildly long update, but I TURNED 15! OH MY GOODNESS! Watch out world, soon I'll be driving! I'm almost done with boring introductory chapters! A few more to go, now onward to chapter nine!**

**~Leila**

**Edited: 10/27/14**

* * *

><p><strong>Like a river flows, gently to the sea<strong>  
><strong>Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be<strong>  
><strong>Take my hand, take my whole life too<strong>  
><strong>Cause I can't help falling in love with you<strong>

_**/Only Fools Rush In **_**by**** Elvis Presley**_**/**_

* * *

><p>Chapter Nine (Zelda)<p>

I cracked my eyes open, looking around at my messy excuse of a room. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, which did little to stop it, and spilled on my floor. Birds chirped merrily, songbirds mixed with the harsh cries of the seagulls.

As always, the dull pounding of the ocean provided a constant white noise. I rolled over onto my side, closing my eyes and desperately trying to cling to the remaining threads of sleep. Alas, they slipped out of my grasp and I found myself lying in my cocoon of covers, eyes wide open.

Glancing at the red numbers of the clock, I saw it was nine o' clock. Perfect. Warm ups are at eleven, which leaves me two hours to get ready. I grinned at the digital numbers, remembering how as a child, the red glow they would give off at night frightened me. I was convinced they were monster eyes.

Rolling out of my bed, I yawned and stretched down to touch my toes. The window seat was empty, I noticed. Link must already be up.

I exited my room, my bare legs breaking out in goosebumps as soon as they came in contact with the chilly air, and saw Aryll, quietly shutting the door to the guest bedroom. I opened my mouth to wish her a good morning, but she put a finger to her lips and beckoned me down the stairs. I followed her, mildly confused, but she spoke as we reached the main level.

"Sorry, I just got Link to fall back asleep. He was up all night," she explained.

"Oh. Was he okay? He wasn't hurting, was he?" I asked, worried the several bruises had bothered him, or that the cut had split open again.

"He has really bad nightmares," Aryll told me. "It's a miracle if he makes the night."

I wasn't quite sure how to respond, the situation of him sleeping in my house was awkward enough, so I changed the subject. "Would you like breakfast?" I offered, gesturing to the kitchen.

The young girl nodded eagerly, her blonde head bobbing up and down. "Yes, please!"

I opened one of our many cabinets and peered through it. It was a rather pathetic sight, actually.

"Um... Instant oatmeal or corn flakes?" I asked, feeling a little guilty I couldn't give the poor girl more. After all she's been through last night, too. "Actually, I'll make some eggs," I decided, closing the cabinet. "Do you like toast?"

Her face brightened. "Only with honey!"

I smiled and pulled the eggs out of the fridge, then pulling out butter, pepper and salt from the cabinets. Aryll hoisted herslef up on the center island and sat to face me, her legs swinging back and forth.

"Do you live by yourself?" she asked, glancing around the kitchen.

"No, my dad just travels a lot," I replied trying to keep the bitterness from seeping into my voice. I piled all my ingredients on the opposite side of the island from her and pulled out a frying pan.

"At least you have him. My dad died when I was a baby."

I paused and looked up at her.

"Do you know how they died? I don't mean to be rude, I just-"

She shook her head. "No, that's okay. I don't actually know. Link will never tell me, and he acts all weird when I ask. Then he has really bad nightmares, so I stopped asking," she said. "Knowing isn't worth him throwing up at night."

I turned on the stove and plopped some butter in the pan, stirring it around to grease the surface.

"His nightmares are that bad?"

"He's stayed home sick from school sometimes. That's when they're really bad, because he hates being at home. He's gone to school with the chicken pox before!" she cried.

I rolled my eyes as I plucked an egg from the carton.

"I remember that, in fourth grade. Stupid boy, he caused an outbreak in our class and I got it really bad since I sat closest to him," I said, recalling the lonely days at home, making cups of chicken noodle soup, feeding myself my medicine, and staging checker games against myself. My father hadn't been there to watch over me, he could only offer condolences over the phone.

Aryll giggled. "He is pretty dumb sometimes, isn't he? Once, he jumped off a cliff!" she told me.

I winced at the thought. "How is he still alive?" I asked, cracking the first egg into the pan. It made a delightful sizzling noise.

"You know, I wonder that sometimes myself. Personally, I think he's cheated death on multiple occasions," Aryll said with a giggle.

"I don't cheat him, we play poker every third Wednesday of the month. We bet my soul. So far, I've won every time," a familiar voice said from the kitchen entryway.

Link was leaned up against a wall, his gold hair arrayed around his head like a halo, and dark circles under his eyes accentuating the ugly appearance of his purpling bruises.

Aryll smiled and jumped off the counter, running over to hug him.

"Morning, sleepyhead," I said, not looking up the frying pan. I forgot to ask Aryll wha kind of eggs she likes, so I hope over-easy is okay.

He hugged Aryll and looked up at me.

"Thanks for letting us stay last night," he half-mumbled, making it difficult for me to understand him.

"It's really no problem," I told him, sliding the egg onto a plate.

He shifted uncomfortably before speaking again. "Need any help?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Would you get the toaster out? It's in the first cabinet... no, the right one," I guided as he opened up cupboards aimlessly. "You can be in charge of making toast."

"I'm really good at making toast," he informed me, grabbing the bread off the counter.

"I'm sure you are," I said, rolling my eyes and bringing Aryll her plate, along with the salt, pepper, and a bottle of honey.

"Thank you," she said, immediately digging into the egg. Link wasn't far behind me with the toast.

"You want some?" he asked.

"Eh, no thanks. What kind of egg do you want?" I asked.

"I'll stick with toast. Eggs are disgusting," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Suit yourself. Enjoy your plan crunchy bread," I teased, plopping an egg in the pan for myself.

"Stop judging my breakfast choices."

"Stop making the wrong breakfast choices."

"Stop talking because you're annoying!" Aryll snapped.

I laughed and flipped my egg before sliding it onto a plate and going to sit at the table.

Breakfast was quick for me, just the egg and a couple strawberries. Link and Aryll were continually bickering, and I only joined in a few times. Mostly I just listened. It blew my mind how they could come from such a terrible environment yet still maintain such a positive exterior.

Eventually, I needed to take a shower. Promising to be back quickly, I dashed up the stairs, slamming the door to my room. Digging around my drawers, I pulled out my team leotard, white and silver and adorned with many sequins.

Downstairs, I could hear Link and Aryll laughing, still eating breakfast. I hurriedly pulled off my pajamas and turned the water on, as high as it would go, of course.

I stepped in to the steamy shower and closed my eyes as the water ran through my hair. I made extra sure not to take too long. I've been late to way too many meets due to prolonged time in the shower.

Turning the water off, I toweled dry, pulled on spandex, a sports bra, then my leotard. I adjusted the neckline, and looked in the mirror. I must say, I look pretty kickass in my gymnastics outfit, sparkles and all.

I tied my wet hair up with an elastic, then yanked on sweatpants over the tights.

Done.

Downstairs, Link was nowhere to be seen, but Aryll was sitting on the table, thoughtfully strumming a golden harp. She looked up as I walked in.

"Hello," she greeted. "Link went to sneak into our house to get clothes and stuff."

"Oh. I hope he's careful," was all I could say.

Neither of us spoke for a little bit, and the only noise was from Aryll's harp. She seemed to be playing the same notes over and over again, forming a melody I found strikingly familiar.

"What song is this?" I asked. "I know I've heard it somewhere..."

"It's called 'Ballad of the Goddess,'" Aryll informed me with a smile. "It's pretty old, I'm surprised you recognize it!"

"I can't place where I've heard it..." I murmured. "Probably school, Shad is super into this old stuff."

"It's petty popular in Skyloft," Aryll offered. "Maybe you heard it there?"

Something clicked, way in the back of my mind. "Yeah, Skyloft! I played this for Link after the Wing Ceremony, and-"

I clamped my mouth shut, head swimming in confusion. Skyloft? Wing Ceremony. I've never been outside of Castle Town, and I've certainly never been to any Wing Ceremony with Link...

Before I could say anything, Link reentered the kitchen, dressed and holding a black duffle bag which he tossed to Aryll.

"Go get changed," he instructed. She scampered up the stairs, and he looked at me. "What time's your gymnastics doodad?"

"We have to leave in about twenty minutes," I told him. He grinned.

"I like all the sparkles."

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything bad! I just said I liked the sparkles!" he said defensively.

"You said it in a sassy tone!"

"What? There was no sass there. You're making this up."

"Uh, no, you definitely were like, 'I like all the sparkles,'" I mimicked in a nasally voice.

"I don't even sound like that, what the hell-"

"Gods, both of you just shut up!" a new voice cried.

Aryll had returned from the upstairs and was wearing a plain pink dress. Her hair hung down long, but the front two strands had ribbons wound around them like a colorful rainbow.

"You look nice," Link commented. Aryll giggled and twirled so that her dress splayed out all around her.

"Don't I? I wanted to look nice for Zelda's special event."

Link looked down at his white t-shirt and distressed jeans. "Should I rent a tux or something?" he asked.

I couldn't help but laugh. "It's a gymnastics meet! You'll be in a gym with no air conditioning for three hours! Speaking of which, let's go. I need to be there for warm ups," I said, filling up a bottle with ice cold water and grabbing my gymnastics bag.

Maybe on the way home I'll get some stamina potion. Papa isn't here, after all.

"Are we biking?" Link asked, a glint in his eye. I glared at him.

"Don't even go there. I'm not risking snapping my neck."

"Paralysis could be eminent," Aryll agreed.

Link rolled his eyes. "Fine. We'll walk."

Ten minutes, seven swear words, five complaints and two miles later, I was pushing open the door to the gym where the meet was being held with Link and Aryll following closely behind me. I waded through the crowds over to the competitor's table where an exhausted looking old woman with a long blonde braid that was wound around her head and swung back and forth like a pendulum sat, sifting through papers.

"Name?" she asked, her voice deep and musical.

"Zelda Fairchild, Castle Town Twisters," I sait, listing my name and team. The lady smiled and handed me my number.

"Good luck, Zelda. CTT is in the main gym warming up in ten minutes," she informed me. I nodded.

"Thanks." I turned back to Link and Aryll. "The bleachers are over there, go find a seat. Here's a fifty for lunch, and thanks so much for coming to see me!" I said, fishing a purple Rupee out of my pocket. Link gaped at it.

"You look like a fish," Aryll giggled.

"Silence, sand crab. Thanks, Z. Good luck!" he called as we walked off in our separate directions. I hurried into the locker room and pulled my sweatpants off, throwing them in a locker. I carried my water bottle out to the gym, set it on my team's bench and walked over to join the group huddle with Ashei.

"Alright girls, this is the last meet of the season. This is Land Finals. This isn't amateur hour, there's no messing around, this is a big deal. You all have been working so hard, and I know you're ready for this. So let's go out there and kick some ass, yeah?" Ashei said, smiling at us.

We all cheered and sat down to start out stretches. I sat next to my friend Beth, and scanned the crowd for two blonde heads. I located them in the dead center, both of them waving madly. I laughed as I stretched, then lay on my stomach to do a plank. I can't let them distract me, I reminded myself. I stayed in my plank position until the burn had spread to all muscles of my body, then I stood and moved over to the beam.

I've never been a huge fan of the beam, really. It's never been my strong area.

Ashei coached me through a couple cartwheels and back handsprings, and I only slipped once. My heart was beating wildly, knowing Link and Aryll were watching me.

After we did a few passes on the floor, we were ushered out of the gym and back to the locker rooms so a final team could warm up. I took a swig of my water and stood by the mirror, redoing my ponytail. Beth, Karane, and Orielle were soon all by the mirrors as well, chattering and checking their carefully applied eyeshadow.

"Did you see who was in the stands?" Karane asked, dipping her finger in an open vat of glitter and rubbing it on her eyelids. I dipped my finger in as well, rubbing the silver paste carefully over my eyelid.

"No, who?" I asked, though I was almost positive I knew who they were talking about. "Can I borrow mascara?" Beth handed me a tube.

"Link Carstairs!" Karane declared, sweeping her red locks up into a bun. "Why would he be here?"

"Link? Wow, I wonder who he's here for!" Beth giggled, bending over to touch the ground.

Beth is a huge flirt; she's hit on almost every guy in our grade. I wish I was in her class at school to watch her in action. I've heard some crazy stories from Orielle.

"Well..." I began.

"Ladies! Let's go, it's time to start!" Ashei yelled into the locker room.

We giggled nervously and put the makeup away, following Ashei to the entrance of the gym. Every team is called up individually. We could hear the crowd cheer as the announcer called up 'The Deku Darlings'. Goddesses, what an awful name.

"And please welcome Regional Champs, the Castle Town Twisters!"

We ran out, smiling and waving at the large crowd, and stood by our bench. The judges filed through their papers before separating to sit at their appointed tables.

We were starting with the floor part of the competition, along with another team with obnoxious neon green leotards.

A perky blonde girl stepped up to the floor, and I have to admit the routine was good, but the poor girl was nervous and stumbled majorly at the end, earning her a solid 7.9 out of 10 for her final score. I clapped as she sat back down at her bench, looking mildly deflated.

"Next up is Zelda Fairchild from the Castle Town Twisters!"

"Go get em', Elda-Zay!" Orielle cheered.

Ashei clapped me on the back. "Show 'em whatcha got, hot stuff," she said with a wink.

I smiled and bounded over to the mat. I took a deep breath and looked over at the judges, who gave me a nod. My heart was beating out of control as I heard the first few beats of my music.

I brought my hands up slowly and put a smile on my face, taking a few steps forwards before swaying my hips back and forth like a belly dancer. This is the embarrassing part of my routine; Link probably loves this. I looked up at him, and sure enough he was laughing, but he flashed me a thumbs up.

I froze the hips, turned, ran, and launched myself into the air, performing a series of twists and flips, landing nicely on my feet.

I landed it! I stuck my hands up, ran back then did a few back handsprings and landed in a bridge. Twisting myself around, I leapt to my feet then did another round of aerial flips before landing and going back to the hip swaying.

Link and Aryll were still cheering, and their cheers seemed louder than the rest of the crowd. I fed off their energy and prepared for the final pass, which happened to be the part I struggled with at practice. I took a running start, launched into the air, free-fell for second before doing a few complicated swirls. Now the hard part. I landed on my feet alright, going straight into a few back handsprings. I landed fine, stumbling a bit, and struck my ending pose, breathing hard and smiling at the crowd.

"Fantastic performance by Zelda Fairchild, earning herself a hearty 9.63!"

Best ever! I shrieked for joy and ran over to hug my teammates. Locked in their sweaty, familiar and tight embraces, I looked up and saw Link smiling broadly at me, and Aryll waving a small CTT flag they must have bought.

"You go Z!" Aryll screamed. I waved up at them.

The meet only went uphill from there. CTT placed first in the Land, scoring the highest. I won five medals, the most you can, scoring first in floor, second in vault bars, and all-around, and fifth in beam. I stood smiling up on the podium up with the rest of my team, drinking in all the cheers and applause. First in the Land. That's an accomplishment.

After posing for a picture for the paper with my team, I escaped to the locker room and pulled my sweatpants back on. Grinning widely, I grabbed at the five medals around my neck and let out a small scream of joy, echoing in the locker rooms. I ran out and saw Link and Aryll waiting for me, both of their faces lit up like the sun.

"Zelda!" Aryll caught me up in a bear hug, the flag digging into my back. "You were so awesome, like a ninja! No, a Sheikah! Yeah!" she cried, her blue eyes sparkling.

Link walked over. "Congrats. How does it feel to be fairest in the land?" he asked, smiling. I smiled back.

"Amazing, actually. But I'm starving and sore. Ooo, come on! I'm going to take to the place I always go after meets," I declared, beckoning them towards the doors.

I waved at an ecstatic Ashei, who was practically having an orgasm out of excitement, and wiggled my fingers at Beth, Karane, and Orielle. They waved back, clutching their bouquets of flowers that their parents had bought for them and giving hugs to their siblings and parents. I felt a small ache in my heart; my father wasn't here to see this...

I shook the feeling away and pushed open the door. I let out a cheer and turned a cartwheel, loving the way my medals clanked around my neck.

"Woo, this is awesome!" I cheered, beaming at Link and Aryll.

"Yeah, we're proud of you!" Aryll said.

I laughed and waved at them frantically. "Hurry up slowpokes! Come on!"

I led them over to one of the many wooden carts that dotted the shoreline. This one was special, though. It was my after-meet tradition.

Hanging from a display rack were an assortment of woven bracelets, some with seashells, some only palm fronds, and some glass beads; glinting in the sun. Next to the bracelets was a blender and a small prep station to cut fruit. A worn sign, beaten down by the salt, sun and wind read: _Hyrule's Smoothie and Trinket Cart_. It might seem like a weird combination, but trust me, it works.

"One strawberry-banana smoothie please!" I said to the bored looking girl who was running the cart. Her name tag read _Peatrice_. "What do you guys want?" I asked Link and Aryll.

"Wild berry!" Aryll chirped.

"I'll have... blueberry coconut? Sounds gross. I'll try it!" Link declared.

I giggled and handed the unenthusiastic Peatrice a yellow Rupee. She turned to the blender and handed us our fresh fruit smoothies.

"There, now let's find a bench by the beach," I said, though Link looked a little distracted.

"Hold my drink and find a bench. I'll be there in a minute," he told us. I shrugged an handed an eager Aryll her purple blended drink.

"How about here," I said, plopping down on a bench beside a hibiscus bush sporting vibrant pink flowers.

Aryll, being the little girl she is, instantly plucked one for her hair. I took a long sip of my frozen treat, taking in the taste of ultimate victory. It tastes a lot like strawberries.

"Hey you," Link greeted my, sitting next to me and claiming his smoothie. It was a suspicious gray color. He eyed it warily before taking a long sip. He smacked his lips, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"That's a good smoothie," he finally announced. I smiled.

"What were you doing back there?" I asked, taking another drink. He fidgeted.

"Well, you know, you just won best gymnast in the Land, and you're letting us stay at your house and all, so... Here." he thrust one of the braided bracelets at me. I examined it.

It was beautiful. It was a gorgeous pattern of small seashells and sea glass the color of the sky. Something tugged in my heart, and I smiled up a him.

"Thank you so much. It's beautiful, honestly!" I told him.

"No problem. Let me help you tie it on," Link said, gently tying the rope bracelet around my wrist while Aryll watched with an undecipherable emotion in her eyes.

"Thanks. Gosh, that sea glass is pretty," I said, running my finger over the smooth surface of the blue stone.

"They're like your eyes," Link told me bluntly. I looked at him for a minute, opened my mouth to say something, but closed it and just smiled instead.

_Yours too_, I thought to myself. But I didn't say it out loud. I just drank my victory smoothie and watched the rolling waves of the ocean.

* * *

><p>Six hours later, I sat curled up on the window seat next to Link, looking up at the night sky. His bracelet still hung around my wrist, and I don't think I'll ever take it off. It'll be like one of my friendship bracelets with Midna where we swear to let them fall off naturally. "Till death do us part," we always jokingly swear.<p>

"How long have you done gymnastics?" he asked.

We were playing 'The Question Game' like we were in third grade again.

"Um, nine years. And look how far I've come," I said. "What about you and track? How long have you done that?"

"Off and on for six years. I run when we can afford it, though I've made a deal with the coach because I'm the best runner on the team," he told me. "Hmm... What's your favorite color?" he asked.

"Probably a very light purple. Yours is green, I knew that. What's your favorite food?" I asked.

"Duh. Telma's onion rings," he said. I laughed.

"Of course, because Telma's is law. Ooo! A shooting star, look! I cried, pointing out the window. We watched the small streak of light fly across the sky before disappearing.

"Did you make a wish?" Link asked.

"Mhm. What did you wish for?" I asked.

"A private island called Linkland and a pet penguin," he responded instantly. I rolled my eyes.

"You have bad wishes."

"There is no such thing as a bad wish, Zelda," he said defensively. "What did you wish for, Highness? Something better than me, of course."

"I wished to be happy. I want to pass school, have a good summer with friends, do well in gymnastics, have my father come home, maybe find a boyfriend in all that," I told him.

"A boyfriend, huh? But boys have cooties," he reminded me.

"I'm learning that not all boys do."

There was a long silence.

"All girls have cooties. That's a proven fact," Link told me. I yawned and shoved him a bit.

"You're a jerk. Now I wanna go to bed. The gymnastics is catching up to me," I yawned, jumping off the window seat and sliding into my mess of blankets.

Link nodded and settled himself into his own nest on the window seat. "Alright. Goodnight, gymnastics champ," he said, rolling over so he was facing the window and not me. I smiled.

"Night, Link. See you in the morning."

-;-;-;-

_I was running down a dark tunnel, so dark I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. I was running and running, from what I don't know. Running and running... And suddenly the tunnel was ablaze, blocking all possible escapes and burning my skin with their heat. I choked on the smoke and sank to the ground, trapped in a perfect ring of fire. _

_I heard a dark laugh, and I looked up to see a man wearing black robes adorned with turquoise marking similar to the ones imprinted on Midna's arms.  
><em>

_"Poor Princess. Caught once again with no escape," he sneered.  
><em>

_"Who are you?" I coughed out.  
><em>

_"Are names really important, my Princess?" he asked, tipping my chin up to look in his glowing orange eyes, dancing like the flames.  
><em>

_I didn't answer and instead spitting into his face. He growled and dug his nails into my skin, and drops of blood dripped between his fingers.  
><em>

_"Don't mess with me, girl," he hissed. "I can destroy all that's important to you! I've been watching you, I know all!"  
><em>

_Faces flashed through the fire, every single one of them frozen in horror. Their screams echoed through the air. Link. Aryll. Midna. My father. Ashei. Agitha, Beth, Tetra, Orielle... Everyone of them screaming for mercy, begging for my help.  
><em>

_Tears streamed down my face, but I was helpless in his grasp. __"Let me go!" I screamed at him, desperately trying to loosen his grip. _

_He laughed at me. "__Fool! You think I would simply let you go? You can burn with the flames, Nayru's favored!" he laughed, holding up my right hand. The Triforce mark glowed gold, burning my hand as the flames surged through my body. I looked up at the man one last time, and he opened his mouth and said-_

"ZELDA!"

I woke with a start, my heart thudding in my chest. I was sweating all over, my shirt was pasted to my skin, and I was trembling slightly. I looked around for the source of the noise, and my eyes locked onto Link, thrashing on the window seat, his blanket already in a heap on the floor.

"NO!" he screamed, bolting upright, eyes wide.

He was shaking uncontrollably, and suddenly he burst into tears. For a moment I just stared. This was not the Link I knew. Link did not cry. Ever. But there he was, sobbing like a child.

"Link, it's alright. It was a dream," I whispered, crawling out from my covers and padding over to the window. He shook his head, the tears still flowing.

"You, you were gone!" he choked out thickly. "Dead and they took you away..."

"Shh," I put a tentative hand on his shoulder, not entirely sure what to do. "You're okay. I'm okay. We'll be alright," I murmured.

He stopped shaking, but the tears still came. He stared out the window for a long while, then suddenly it happened. He wrapped his arms around my waist and he was sobbing into my shoulder.

"I want my mom, Zelda!" he choked out.

I stiffened for a moment, then I hugged him back, my arms acting like his shield to the world, protecting him from all danger. I stroked his hair silently, running my fingers through the snarls. It felt like corn silk. And we stayed there a while, crouched in that position, huddled in each other's arms, Link silently crying into my shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry the gymnastics meet was not entirely accurate for all you gymnasts. I was kind of making it up based on what my friend tells me. After all, I am a writer.<strong>


	11. Chapter 10

**Thanks to all reviewers, you make my day :) And I'm still considering starting another story, so keep a lookout for one! **

**~Leila**

**Edited: 1/8/15**

* * *

><p>Chapter Ten (?)<p>

Ganondorf paced back and forth by the large window overlooking the golden expanses of Guerdo Desert. Scorching winds whipped the sands around, forming dunes then tearing them apart again.

Ganondorf liked the wind; it was powerful. It could tear trees from their roots, wear down mountains, and blow entire cities away. There was just something about the wind, something so poetic and enduring.

No matter what else may happen in the world, the wind will still be there; the eternal breath of the Goddesses. It was a shame the Goddesses would be brought from their perch up in the heavens and forced to get on their knees and bow to him.

He would miss the wind.

The door behind him was thrown open and another man stalked in, this one wearing heavy black robes despite the desert's heat. Ganondorf stopped pacing, but kept his gaze on the sands of his homeland.

"Anything to report?"

"Nothing, my lord. All is running smoothly. However, my spy reports that the Hero has been spending more time with the Princess," the man informed his master.

Ganondorf tensed a little. "Is that so?"

_His _little girl? With that little brat?

The servant noticed his master's tight expression. "Yes, my lord. Is everything alright?"

Ganondorf shook himself from his thoughts and assumed his unwavering glare. "Everything is fine. I was just thinking about our little spy. How can you be sure that they won't betray us? The spy plays a vital role in all of this, and we can't mess up because you can't wisely choose a stalker."

The other man grinned, revealing sharp teeth like a shark's. He absently ran a finger along the turquoise markings on his arm, and they glimmered dimly at his touch.

"You don't have to worry about the spy, my lord. I have the situation... Under control, if you will. There is just one problem with your brilliant scheme that I'm afraid will have to be dealt with."

"And what might that be?"

"You."

The might Dark King whirled around to face his accomplice, his gold eyes blazing like a roaring fire. "What did you just say?" he hissed.

The other man smiled sadly. "My lord, the issue lies with the Princess. Do not try to deny that you have grown attached to her over the years. I see the way you are when you talk about her. You love her like your own child, and that can't interfere with our plan!" the man cried, looking his master straight into his burning eyes, not flinching away once.

"It won't! Whatever would make you suggest that?"

"Master, do you know how to obtain a section of the Triforce when it has a human host?"

"...You kill the bearer."

"Exactly. If you hesitate to kill that girl, all could be lost. She will only need that one second of hesitation to slip right between our fingers. Even if you kill the Hero first, she's not helpless. You cannot let your emotions get in the way of all of this! She's not even your real daughter," the man reminded his master sternly.

Ganondorf sighed deeply and turned back to face the desert once more. The sight of the sands swirling in the wind's grasp always calmed him and cleared his head.

He always forgot that the girl wasn't his daughter.

He remembered the day he picked up her unconscious form off the rocky cliffs like it was yesterday. He had been in love with her instantly; the way she had clung to his neck and instantly trusted him, giving him her heart.

She was an innocent lamb walking straight into the slaughterhouse.

She had no idea what he planned to do.

"You are correct, Zant, and I fully intend to follow through with the original plan. She will be killed for Wisdom to be secured," Ganondorf heard himself saying, as if from a distance.

Zant nodded. "Good. As for now, I will keep my spy close to them. We only need to wait for the perfect moment," he said to the Dark King. Ganondorf nodded slowly.

He was envisioning holding Zelda's cold, limp body in his arms as blood spilled from the gash his own sword made in her chest, spilling into his hands, creating puddle on the floor...

"Right. The perfect moment when victory will become a reality."


	12. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the longish update, I was on spring break in the Caribbean, and I was on electronics probation, thanks to my dear father. Thanks to all the awesome comments I've been getting lately, and thanks to the few private messages I've been getting too! You guys are just awesome. Seriously. Give yourselves hugs. And a shout-out to fanofzeldaseclares and Xandy Pants; they hit like the "D all of the above button", because they favorited the story and me as the author, followed the story and me as an author, AND reviewed. You guys get extra brownie points! Now it's chapter eleven, and this is my last introductory thingy, and I'll have like two or three cutesy little Zelink chapters, then I'll kick the poor children into their fates. So that's whats coming up! Keep reading!**

**~Leila**

**This chapter is like five days later, on their last day of school.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Eleven (Link)<p>

I sat in my desk, staring at the hands of the clock. They seemed to move in slow motions, as if they were ticking through an ocean of syrup. School is fantastic and lovely and all, but frankly I'm tired of listening to Ilia drone on about some fancy vacation she's taking with her father over the summer. We turned in our Creation projects at the beginning of class, and Zelda and I passed with flying colors. He told us our project was "exceptional and unlike anything he's seen before." We suffered through a few presentations before Shad gave up and told us we were doing "Constructive Class Discussion Questions" instead. _What are your plans for the summer? _was his first question.

For once I have plans. And the plans aren't hiding in my room or camping at Sheik's for the summer. On Sunday, Zelda had walked me down to my aunt and uncle's, and I talked to them for a good long while. We arranged that I would stay for the last two weeks before my birthday, then when I turned seventeen, I would move out with Aryll into my own place. Telma said we could board above her tavern, and I would work there to earn extra money. Zelda said she would too, as she has nothing to do over the summer with her father gone.

Things in this past week have been perfect. I've been hanging out with Zelda constantly. My aunt and uncle haven't beat me this entire week. I haven't had a single nightmare, which is new for me. It's nice to be able to close your eyes without dreading the hell that comes with the darkness of sleep. And the best of it, I have only seven days until my life takes a definite turn for the better. When all my plans and dreams of having a normal life becomes a reality.

"Well, class, seeing as we only have a few minutes left of your tenth grade year, I'd like to say a few words," Shad said, cutting off Ilia's rant. He was launching the usual 'you've all grown so much and I'm proud of you' speech. "When you all walked in here on the first day of school, you were all immature, annoying ninth graders. Now, sitting here on the last day of school, you're all immature annoying tenth graders. But you're _my_ immature annoying tenth graders. Though it may have seemed like I was always mad at you throughout the year, I've actually had so much fun. You have all made me laugh, cry, and scream in frustration. But you are all a great class with so many gifts and talents that will be put to use in your near future. Have a great summer, and don't hesitate to stop by next year."

As soon as he finished, the final bell rang and the class sprang into motion; everyone jumped out of their seats and made a beeline for the door.

"BYE, SHAD!" we all yelled in unison.

I stood slowly and waited for Zelda to gather her things; we'd fallen into a habit of walking together after school. Tetra, Midna, Agitha, Saria, Sheik and Roy joined us.

"Are you guys ready for tonight?" Tetra asked, her grin brighter than the sun. She was referring to the end-of-the-year beach party we had all organized at the beginning of the year. Everyone in the grade was invited, but Tetra's dad, who owned a boating company, offered to take our group out on his pontoon boat. And he has jet skis and everything. I'm actually excited to go to one of these events for once.

"Yeah, it should be fun," Zelda said, standing up.

"And by fun she means amazing beyond all belief! I'm an eleventh grader, bitch! Whoops, sorry Shad," Roy said, glancing over at our former teacher, who just shook his head and buried his head back into our Creation book.

"Watch your mouth!" Saria chided as we exited the classroom.

Her hair bounced familiarly as she walked. Saria, Sheik and I have been best friends all through school, ever since I arrived as a new student in kindergarten. _"You're name's Link? I like that name! My name is Saria. I'm six, are you six? We should be friends! Where did you move from? Do you climb trees? I love climbing trees! I can just tell we'll be friends forever and ever!" _I smile as I recall her first words to me. How she breathed during that statement, I still don't know to this day.

"Elda-Zay? Can I come over to your house right now? My mom's out doing research on the Lost Woods, and I don't really want to be alone," Agitha said, looking over at Zelda. She nodded.

"Sure, that sounds good. What about you guys, do you want to come?" she asked.

"I'd love to!" Roy declared. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"Not you, dumbass."

"I don't like the language, sassy."

"Can it, Ginger. Yeah, Midna, Saria and I will come over! It'll be like a pre-party," Tetra told Zelda with a grin, ignoring Roy's dirty looks and obscene gesture at being called a Ginger.

"It's not a party without me!" I informed them. Zelda nudged me.

"You're too annoying. Besides, no boys allowed," she teased.

"That's a shitty rule. I'm taking it to the King's Court. OY! Blondie, over here!" I called, waving down my sister. She saw me and smiled brightly, and began weaving her way through the large crowd.

"Hey, Link. Hi Zelda, Sheik, and Saria," Aryll greeted us, her blue eyes full of excitement for the summer months.

"How's it been, kiddo?" Sheik asked, ruffling her hair. I saw her cheeks flush pink. Ha! I _knew_ she still liked him!

"G-good! I can't wait for the summer. I've got some big plans," Aryll told him. I caught her eye and wiggled my eyebrows at her. The pink deepened to a crimson.

"Big plans? You're ten years old! You must be rather popular," Sheik said.

"Something like that."

I rolled my eyes and pushed open the heavy wood doors for the last time. Bye school. See you in three months. Actually, bye school, kiss my ass, hopefully you'll spontaneously blow into smithereens soon! I grinned as the sun came in contact with my face, warming my skin. Zelda flashed a smile in my direction, a smile that seemed to say, "Hey, we made it."

"Well, catch y'all later. Bye!" Roy called as he ran off.

"Later, Ginge!" Tetra called after him. He yelled something back that rhymed with "duck stew," and Aryll cringed and look up at me. I laughed and waved to Sheik as he walked over to the bike racks. I was left with the gaggle of girls.

"I think you like him," Agitha said as Tetra watched Roy jog off. Tetra's whirled around to face her.

"What?" she hissed. Agitha and Saria giggled.

"I'm only giving my opinion. You two just seem to attract," Agitha said in a singsong voice.

"You're sickening. Utterly sickening. I actually want to throw up right now," Tetra snapped. Girls have really petty arguments. No one actually gives a shit, and yesterday, I saw Tetra and Roy making out behind the school. _Passionately_ making out, I might add.

"You didn't want to throw up yesterday," I reminded her. Tetra's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't! I mean, I'll slit your throat if you _dare_ to say _anything_!" she sputtered. I grinned.

"That'll cost you at least five Rupees."

"I hate you."

"What are you talking about?" Agitha asked, leaning towards us slightly.

"Nothing!" Tetra snapped, turning away.

I grinned again and winked at Saria.

"Poor dear can't take a little harmless blackmail," I explained. She rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Up to your usual shenanigans, I see."

"I'm quite the trickster," I agreed.

"You're quite annoying as well. We're at my house now. See you later?" Zelda asked pulling her house key out of her pocket. The bracelet I bought her was still tied around her wrist. She hasn't taken it off once.

"Yep. Until tonight, ladies," I said with a low bow. They giggled.

"Bye, Link!"

I smiled and took Aryll's hand. She still clutched her red telescope tightly. So far so great. I love to think that in a week, we'll be safe from harm. I'll be working to help buy us an actual home so we don't live above Telma's forever. We can go to the beach, eat Telma's whenever we want, and we won't get hurt. No more alcohol, no more fights, no more swearing. I can finally have my long awaited peace.

* * *

><p>I slammed my fist against the wood of Zelda's front door for the third time. Damn girls and their uncanny ability to be late for everything! It's honestly not that goddessdamned hard to put on a freaking swimsuit! The door swung open, revealing Zelda. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and she wore black sweat-shorts and a white t-shirt. I could see the outline of her bikini top through the thin white material. I quickly averted my gaze.<p>

"Took you long enough. Are you all read?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Patience is a virtue, young green grasshopper."

"Aryll tells me that all the time, minus the grasshopper part. That's new."

"I like to keep it fresh. Ladies! Move your butts, let's go!" Zelda yelled upstairs. Almost instantly, Agitha, Midna, Tetra and Saria materialized at the top of the stairs and began walking down. It's amazing how long they can stall, then be perfect and ready to go, blaming us men for keeping them so long.

"Let's go!" Saria chirped, adjusting her green swimsuit cover-up. "Oh, hey Link."

"Hola. Nice to see all of you. Let's go, we're late," I said, turning around and jumping down the porch steps. They followed, giggling and chattering as they went. I rolled my eyes, and Zelda jogged over to stand at my side, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"It must be tough to be surrounded by so many girls," she said. I nodded.

"Unfortunately, it's a side affect of being so damn good looking," I told her. She rolled her eyes.

"Poor you."

When we arrived at the beach, kids were already walking around, dancing to music, and splashing in the waves. A bonfire had been built but wasn't going to be lit until night had fallen. Tetra led us over to the docks, where her dad was waiting with the pontoon and two jet skis. Her dad, a tall, tan man with white hair and stubble from lack of shaving, was explaining something about nautical charts and wind directions to Roy and Sheik, who were sprawled on the wooden planks of the dock.

"Hey, Daddy. Ready to cast off?" Tetra asked.

"Hey, Tetris!" her father pulled her into a bear hug, which she tolerated. She looked almost annoyed that he was hugging her in front of us. She doesn't know how lucky she is to have someone to hug her and embarrass her and call her strange nicknames. Because some of us don't have that luxury.

Tetra pulled away from the hug and glanced at the boat. "Can we go now?" she asked. Her dad laughed, a deep, rich laugh.

"Hold on there, cowgirl. I know you're always anxious ro set sail, but we need to wait just a minute," he told his daughter. Tetra sighed and crossed her arms angrily. Her dad turned to us.

"How are you all doing today? Excited for summer?" he asked. We all nodded.

"Oh, yes! I'm super excited because I get to see my cousins all the way over in Kokiri Village," Saria told him.

"Oh, very nice! That's far away, you must not get to see them much. Now, when we go boating, you all need to wear life jackets, no exceptions," he told us, ignoring Tetra's mumbles about how the jackets 'clash with her swimsuit.' "Also, don't be running around like little fur-monkeys while the boat is in motion." Fur-monkies? "Last, we have two jet skis, which means four of you can follow the boat. Are any of you willing to do that?" he asked us. Sheik's hand shot into the air.

"Midna and I will! Right, Middie?" he asked. Midna cracked a small smile and nodded. She still wasn't wearing a swimsuit and wore her sweatshirt and jeans.

"Sounds fun," she practically whispered. I looked over at Zelda, who was chatting with Agitha. I'm not going to miss a good opportunity.

"Zelda will come with me. She loves things that go super fast," I told him. Zelda snapped to attention immediately.

"What?" she demanded, her voice shrill.

"Perfect! You four can follow the boat. Driving is pretty easy, it's like steering a bike," he said as he threw us all life jackets. I snickered when he said bike and looked over at Zelda, who was fuming silently. Tetra's dad handed a set of keys to Sheik, and one to me.

"You can leave your clothes on the boat. Please be careful, I don't want you all damaging the jet skis. I trust you to be responsible," Tetra's dad informed us.

I nodded and pulled my shirt off, throwing onto a seat on the pontoon. I looked over and saw Zelda had done the same and was neatly setting her clothes next to mine. My breath caught in my throat. It's not like I haven't seen girls in swimsuits before, I've seen Saria in a bikini countless times on our trips to the beach together, but Zelda... Tetra's dad noticed me staring and pressed a life jacket into my hands with a wink.

"She's a catch alright," he whispered. I nodded.

"She sure is."

Zelda finished buckling up her orange life jacket and looked at me.

"I'm ready. And I swear to Nayru, if we hit a rock and flip over and die, I'll, I'll... never forgive you! Ever!" she told me, her eyes blazing fiercely.

"Ever? That's a long time. What if I said please?" I asked. She crossed her arms and turned away.

"Nope. You're doomed to never be forgiven!"

"Who said I was going to hit a rock and flip us over? I'm not! Because I happen to be careful, unlike certain girls who flip over bikes on rocks," I told her. Her face flushed and she opened her mouth to respond, but Tetra's dad motioned for us to follow him.

"Here, you two will be using this one," he said, pointing to a red jet ski. The word _Epona_ was painted along the side in flowy white letters.

"Why did you name it Epona?" I asked, settling myself in the front of the jet ski and gripping the handles.

"It was Tetra's mother's name," he told us quietly.

"Oh. It's a very pretty name," Zelda said as she climbed on behind me. He nodded and cleared his throat.

"Yes, I agree. Well, Link, clip the key onto your life vest. That's so if you fall out, the key will come with you therefore stopping the jet ski so it won't be running unmanned. Turn the handles to steer, and push this down to speed up and release to slow down," he said, pointing to something that looked like a hand brake on a bike. I nodded. "Great. Be careful, and just follow us. We'll stop at a point so you all can swim."

He left and walked to the boat, where everyone else was seated, and revved up the engine. I clipped the key onto my vest, then stuck it into ignition. The engine flared to life beneath us.

"Ready?" I asked Zelda.

"No."

"You can hold onto me, you know. It might make you feel a little safer," told her.

"If you think I'm wrapping my arms around _your_ waist, Link Carstairs, then you are very mistake-AAH!" she screamed as I took off after the pontoon.

Her arms were instantly around my waist, clinging for dear life. I laughed and lessened my grip on the handle a little bit, but retained most of our speed. The wind was whipping through my hair, and spray from the ocean was splashing onto my legs. And Zelda was behind me, holding onto my waist... I could feel her bracelet cutting into my stomach, and her head buried into my back.

"You alright?" I asked, expecting the worse. I didn't expect a laugh. Her head pulled away from my back and she smiled at me.

"This is fun! My father would _kill_ me if he saw me! Go faster!" she cried, laughing into the wind.

"As you wish!" I replied, letting the speedometer needle soar.

The wind rushed by faster now, reminding me of the winds on Outset. Those storm winds could uproot the mighty palm trees that waved on the beaches. The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, streaking the blue with pink and gold. A couple seagulls flew up above. In other words, everything was perfect right now.

"Hey, Zelda?"

"Hm?"

"I, uh, I've been meaning to ask you something," I said, trying to steady my heart rate.

"Yeah?" she asked, leaning forward so that her chin was resting on my shoulder.

"I...I... Do you... WHOA! Look at that weird bird!" I cried, pointing at nothing. Her head turned instantly, following my finger.

"Oh! Where?" she asked, scanning the sky for an invisible bird. Why can't I just ask her, dammit? I'm just a goddessdamned coward who's scared of girls! Actually, I'm not scared of Zelda. I'm scared she'll say no.

"I didn't see it," she said slowly. I could tell by her tone that she knew I was lying to change the subject.

"Darn. We'll look for it."

"You're strange, you know that?"

"I've been told."

"Strange in a good way though," she said, laying her head against my back again. I smiled. No one has ever told me I'm strange in a good way before. That's definitely new. I like it.

"Good to know. I can now put 'strange in a good way' on my resume!" I exclaimed, turning the jet ski sharply to the left, causing Zelda to slip a bit.

"Don't do that!" she giggled nervously.

"What? _This?_" I asked, jerking left again as I spoke.

"Yes that!" she sneered. I sighed, then noticed all the nice waves that the pontoon boat was creating... Lightbulb...

"Hang on!" I commanded, speeding up. I felt her grip tighten.

"What-"

We hit the wave at a high speed, causing us to catch air and ramp off the wave. Zelda screamed, right in my ear, and we landed with a splash. I burst out laughing and turned to look at her. Her glare was poisonous, and her hair was wild from the wind. I tried not to laugh, but was unsuccessful.

"_Never_ do that again. _Ever_," she hissed. I shrugged and turned my attention back to the water ahead.

"I thought it was fun."

"_I. Almost. Died."_

"What a load of crap! I had the situation completely under control!" I told her.

"Sure. Because you can totally control the thing when we land upside-down!" she snapped.

"But we didn't, did we? Oh, they're stopping. Fantastic. Now we go swimming," I declared, slowing down and parking next to the pontoon. Tetra's dad waved at us.

"Nice driving, kid! That was some sick air you caught, too!" he yelled as I pulled the key out.

"Thanks! She's a great machine," I told him as I grabbed the railing of the pontoon to steady the jet ski next to it. He took out a length of rope and began tying the jet ski to the pontoon.

"Zelda, however, doesn't look to thrilled. Neither did Sheik after he let Midna drive. You alright, Miss Zelda?" he asked, helping her aboard the big boat. She shook her head.

"Never let me near him again, especially when he has access to things with motors," she said as she went to join the girls. Tetra's dad laughed, and I grinned and took a seat next to Sheik, who indeed looked a little green.

"Did the girl wear you out?" I teased. He nodded like a zombie.

"Uh-huh. She reminded me that I hate jet skis," he moaned.

Midna flashed a smile at him before turning back to the girl conversation. They were talking in whispered, frantic voices, and giggling even more than usual. Zelda was bright red, and they kept glancing over at me, which makes me slightly suspicious. I bet Tetra is planning my murder so she won't have to pay me my five Rupees.

"I think you need to grow a pear, dude, if a girl driving a jet ski gets you acting like an old drunk sailor," I said. Roy nodded.

"They say the best cure for seasickness is the sea," he told Sheik. Sheik glanced at him quizzically. I saw a glint in Roy's blue eyes, and I saw where he was going with this.

"Who says that?" Sheik asked. Roy grinned.

"Me."

And he pushed Sheik, sending him toppling off the boat and landing with a splash in the salty water. We erupted with laughter as he came up sputtering, yelling words a drunk sailor might use.

"Fuck you two! You better get your damn asses in here now before I come up there and kick them all the way to fucking kingdom come!" he shouted.

Saria winced and covered her ears. I grinned at her, then jumped over the side and landed in the cold water. Actually, it was freezing. Holy guacamole! It's like being in ice! I looked up at the seemingly massive boat.

"Who's n-next?" I called, trying to keep my teeth from chattering. I heard a splash to my right, and I turned, expecting to see Roy's red head pop up above the waves.

"Farore, it's freezing in here!" Zelda exclaimed as she surfaced, water streaming down her face. I laughed and splashed her.

"You can say that again, chica!"

She glanced down at her necklace, which still hung around her neck. "Damn, this'll rust. I'll have to get out soon," she said as two splashes sounded to our left.

Roy and Tetra surfaced and Agitha soon followed. Saria was still leaning over the railing, showing no signs of jumping in anytime soon, and Midna was never getting in in the first place. She's been acting odd lately, particularly around Zelda and I. She'll never meet my eye, and she won't talk to anyone for very long. Sometimes I swear I see her shadow instead of mine, but that's just some strange overreaction. Or at least I think it is. I just have a strange gut feeling I can't shake that something's not right with her.

"What would you do if I came up there and dragged you down here with me?" Sheik yelled up, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. Midna grimaced and shook her head.

"I'd probably feed you to the sharks. I'm not getting in there, and you're not making me," she said, shoving her hands into her pockets.

Sheik made a pathetic puppy face that only six year olds can pull off. "Aww, come on Middie! Quit being such a square!"

"A square?"

"Ya know, boring, not round, doesn't roll with it," Sheik explained, making rolling motions with his arm. What a sad soul. Midna smirked a little but shook her head.

"I'm not the rolling type of girl. I fight the flow, I don't go with the flow. Sorry, Sheikah," she said, turning and sitting in a seat. Zelda nodded, kicking herself to the ladder and pulling herself up.

"You've never really been one to follow the crowd, Midna," Zelda agreed, hugging a towel around her and wringing out her sopping ponytail.

Midna nodded and closed her eyes, showing she was done contributing to the conversation. I followed Zelda and climbed up onto the deck of the pontoon, grabbing a random towel and running it over my hair. I pulled my shirt on and plopped down next to Zelda and Saria.

"It's too cold to swim," I complained, motioning at the setting sun. "Besides, we're missing the actual party."

Tetra's dad nodded and leaned down to yell at Tetra. "Tetris! Why don't we head back now? It's getting cold and dark. You and Roy should take Epona back, and Saria and Agitha can ride back Ol' Blue," he suggested.

"Sure!" I heard Tetra yell back. "Toss me the keys, and I'll untie er'."

Saria shivered and tentatively took the other jet ski's keys off the table and twirled them around her finger. "I don't know, I think I'll flip over and drown and die," she giggled nervously.

"You will not," Zelda said. "Life jacket. Duh."

"Yeah, cause' you were so brave on your ride too," Saria said dryly, rolling her eyes. "Aggy! Let's get a move on before all the marshmallows are gone!"

"I'm already on the thing, Sari! _You_ need to hurry your little green butt up or _I'll _miss the marshmallows!" was the response.

The two jet skis were untied and began speeding off towards the shore, and as soon as Sheik was safely on deck, the pontoon took off after the two smaller crafts. Sheik slid into a seat next to Midna, and I noted that their legs were entangled in a very familiar way. My, my, so many secret relationships! I caught Sheik's eyes, but the dumbass didn't seem to catch onto the fact that their legs were out in the wide open. Zelda's eyebrows rose but she didn't say a word.

We docked within fifteen minutes, and I was happy to be standing on un-wavy planks again. Boats are nice, but... No, they're not. I hate all boats, except for my dad's old fishing dinghy. That boat was perfect.

"Well, you kids have fun," Tetra's dad sighed as Tetra finished docking the jet skis. She nodded and gave her dad a one-armed hug.

"We will, Daddy," she promised.

"No alcohol. Or drugs. Or sex," he reminded her sternly. She rolled her eyes.

"Dad, please. Thanks for the boat ride!" she called as we walked off the dock and onto the sandy shores of the beach. The fire was roaring now, and kids gathered around it chatting, passing bags of marshmallows and skewers to toast them. We joined the circle, sitting on one of the many logs we were using as benches.

"Hey, Link!" Ruto called.

I nodded in reply, and several girls giggled. I didn't even say anything. I must be hotter than I thought. I grabbed a marshmallow and stabbed it through with the skewer. I noticed Zelda had taken a seat next to me; her leg pressed against mine hotly in the crowded gathering. I turned the white puff over the flames, letting them lick the marshmallow until it was golden brown. If I do say so myself, I'm the master at toasting marshmallows. I pulled it off the stick and offered it to Zelda.

"Don't you want it?" she asked as she took it from my hands. I shrugged.

"I don't really like marshmallows."

"You just like toasting them?"

"Pretty much. Aryll and I had a system. I'd toast them, and she'd eat them. It was a win-win," I said. She smiled.

"Younger siblings must be great," she sighed, turning her gaze to the fire. Something dark stirred in her eyes as she watched the flames dance. A log fell, sending a shower of sparks soaring skyward.

"Aryll's great. But Saria's little brother makes me want to cut my ears off," I said. Saria, who heard me, nodded vigorously.

"He screams! No, he shrieks! And he's nine! And he yells, and put gum in my hair, and he even poured ketchup into my shoes! He's awful!" she declared, popping a burnt marshmallow into her moth. Zelda giggled.

"So mature younger siblings are nice?" she corrected. We nodded in unison.

"Yes. I'd trade Kafei for Aryll instantly. Ooo, and he never stops talking about this girl in his class! Her name's Anju, and I feel horrible for the poor girl! He must terrorize her! That or he likes her, and I don't know if Kafei is capable of liking anything... He tells my mother he hates her daily..." she trailed off.

"He's just like you. It's crazy how you two are like carbon copies of each other," I teased.

Saria snorted as she took another marshmallow. Her necklace gleamed in the firelight, the one she always has worn. It's a small, flat green circle. It was her great-grandmother's, and I know she regards it as her most prized possession. I always liked it because green is my favorite color, and it seemed familiar to me.

"What was your favorite part of the school year?" Agitha asked the crowd of new eleventh graders. There was a roar of laughter and some chattering before someone spoke up.

"Daring Sheik to tell Shad he had beautiful eyes," Midna snickered. Sheik turned red as everyone laughed.

"That was awkward," a redheaded girl who's name I can never remember said. Karen, maybe? Carol? I don't care.

"Not as awkward as the time he told us he had a crush on Saria's mom," I pointed out. Everyone laughed again and Sheik buried his face in his hands.

"I was six!" he protested. "And your mom is an attractive woman! And at least I haven't proposed to a barmaid, Link!"

I grinned. "I still intend to marry her. Whatever it takes to get free onion rings!"

"Remember when we convinced a substitute that Roy couldn't speak Hylian and that Tetra was the missing Princess?" Saria asked.

"Yeah, what a total idiot! We got class off for a day, and she was waiting on my hand and foot! I told her to strip for Rauru, and she almost did it! Zelda stopped her like the little goody two-shoes she is," Tetra said, glancing at Zelda, who shrugged.

"That was mean of you. You're lucky I didn't tell the poor girl you were lying," she stated simply.

"My favorite part of the year was winning Land Championship in track," a familiar, loud and annoying voice boasted. I groaned and rolled my eyes. Sure enough, sitting with his two ugly cronies, grinning like a moron with his damn ugly hair, was Groose. I can't stand the bastard.

"Yeah, we won because of me," I snapped. He rolled his gold eyes and brushed back his ridiculously stupid 'pompadour' that looks like a red dick sticking out of his scalp.

"At least I paid my way on the team fairly. I don't have to negotiate my way on the team," he sneered. I gritted my teeth.

"At least I have natural talent as a runner, unlike some morons who join the team just to say they won Land Championships!"

"That may be so, but at least I'm not a poor, broke street rat who can't afford to run on the school track team! Some of us don't have to bribe the coach" he yelled, his eyes burning into mine. I jumped to my feet, my hands balled into fists. I'm sure my face was bright red with rage.

"Look, bastard, I wasn't going to do track, but you know what? Coach came up to me and _begged_ me to join so the track team wouldn't consist of fat morons like you!"

He stood up and clenched his fists as well. "Wanna say that again, tiny? Tell that to my fist!" he roared, stepping towards me. I was about to tackle him into the fire, when I felt a light hand on my shoulder. Groose froze and suddenly was fixing his hair and smiling like an idiot.

"Why don't you take a walk to calm down a minute, Link. Here, come on," Zelda said softly, leading me by the arm. I hissed at Groose as we passed, savoring the plain jealousy in his eyes. I know he loves Zelda. He drones on and on about how they're going to be married in the locker room. Dream on, fatass.

Zelda dragged me farther along down the beach until we were by our tree we had climbed at the first bonfire.

"He is such a damn fag! Son of a bitch, I want to strangle him! He has the nerve to call me a broke street rat, goddess dammit I-" Zelda put a finger over my lips. I silenced instantly, and she smiled.

"Cool it, Carstairs. You can't lose it like that," she whispered. I nodded, still cross-eyed, looking at her finger. She let her hand fall to her side and looked out at the moonlit ocean.

"It's so pretty at night," she murmured. "Almost magic, don't you think?"

It did almost look silver, like fairy tears. And the moon makes it shine like a mirror, reflecting the heavens above.

"Have you ever chased the waves?" I asked suddenly. She looked at me.

"What? Um, I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure," she said, looking at the water lapping the sand. I grinned.

"Fantastic. When I was little, my mom would do it with me, just for fun. I taught Saria the game, and we pretended it was acid, and if you touch it, you die," I explained. She jogged forward, then ran back before the water could touch her feet.

"Like that?"

"Almost. You have to hold hands," I told her, pretending like I didn't see her look. It was true, my mom always held my hand tightly to make sure I wasn't washed out, and I kept up the tradition with Saria. It's not going to change now.

"Okay," she said finally, sliding her hand into mine. My heartbeat quickened, and I hoped she couldn't hear it.

"Alright, and now we run," I said, running forward so that the waves were almost touching my feet, then jogging backwards so the water didn't reach us. Zelda giggled as we started forwards again.

"And you did this for hours? I'm really missing out on a childhood!" she exclaimed as we dashed away from an incoming wave. "Oops! Some touched my toes, does that mean I'm dead?" she asked.

"Yeah. You can be a ghost though. Or a walking skeleton, take your pick," I told her as we ran forward again.

"That's morbid."

"I highly recommend the walking skeleton. I was always the walking skeleton."

"Of course you were." We started running back again, but Zelda lost her footing in the wet sand and slipped to the ground. "Dammit! Now my butt's wet!" she cried as she landed in the surf. I plopped down next to her, splashing her with salt water.

"Oh well. Sitting in the water is fun too," I said.

"Not in clothes!" she protested, starting to stand up. I yanked her back down with my hand still holding hers.

"It makes it more memorable. Now shut up and just go with it, you square!"

She sighed as the water swept over us again. I noted that she didn't make any effort to disconnect our linked hands. Maybe she actually does like me... It's a possibility...

"Hey, Z?" I asked.

"Hm?"

"Well, you know, the Goddess Festival starts the day after tomorrow, and Aryll and I were going to be all alone at the ceremonies, so maybe... You'd like to come long?" I asked, not looking at her and unconsciously holding my breath.

"Yeah, perfect! Funny you ask, because I was going to ask if I could go with you two since my father isn't home," she said, wiggling her toes in the squishy sand. I let my breath out.

"Cool," I said finally, not really sure what else to say.

I know in her head, I just wanted to know if she wanted to tag along with my sister and I, but to me, I just asked her on a date. An unofficial date that she isn't even aware of, but it counts in my mind and the excitement is all the same. She stood up and brushed some of the wet san doff of her shorts, then reached down to touch her toes. I stood up and did the same, minus the toe-touching part.

"I don't really feel like going back to the bonfire," she said with a yawn. "I might just go home. Care to walk with me?"

I nodded. "Anything for you, Princess. I'm surprised you're not having your dragon pick you up. That's what I'd do if I were you. Dragon escorts are very handy," I told her. She laughed and started walking. I was right alongside her.

"You're right, that would be the smart thing to do. But it might eat you. My dragon doesn't like you," she said seriously.

"Really? I'll just have to charm it. That's my paid occupation, you know. Professional dragon charmer."

"You're a dumbass. I bet that doesn't pay well," she remarked. I nodded my agreement.

"No, but the health care benefits are _fabulous_!"

She laughed and stopped at her front door. I was a little sad, hoping for a longer walk, but unfortunately the beach we were at is super close to Zelda's house. I stopped in front of her, and she looked up at me and smiled.

"Well, I had fun today, jet skis and all. Thanks, um, thanks for walking me," she said looking at the ground.

"No problem," I said, preparing to leave. "I'll see you tomorr-" I stopped as she suddenly threw her arms around my neck and drew me into a hug. Her head was buried into my chest, and her arms were warm around my neck. She smelled like lilacs. After a minute, I hugged her back. Then she broke away, and her face was beet red.

"I-"

Then she turned and ran into her house without another word, leaving me to my stunned silence. What the hell was that? I grinned to myself and refrained from cheering out loud. Whatever it was, I liked it.

* * *

><p><strong>God, I just wanted it to be over! Sorry guys, not my best piece of work. I just wanted to get an update out. But as a wise reviewer once said, "It could be worse." :) Anyway... I enjoyed the Groose part of it, that was fun to write. Also, almost everyone guessed the spy. Good job! And chasing waves is really fun. I was doing that with my little sister, and she told me I was a walking skeleton because I touched the water and died. I wonder what goes on in her little head... And sorry for crappy dialogue. If you couldn't tell, I hate and am horrible at big-group dialogue scenes... Ugh. Next chapter should be up soon, keep reading and reviewing! Thanks guys!<strong>

**~Leila**

**And some good stories are: Altering Time by msBBsue, Skygazer by NeonGreenSheep, Tenacity by Kabrex and Immortal Beauty by Victoria-BlackHeart.**

**Oh yeah! Also, 'Land Championships' are the equivalent of State in real life. Hyrule doesn't really have states, and I considered Regionals but those are more minor, so Land it is.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Basically I meshed chapters twelve through sixteen together. They're all little shorts anyway, so yeah. And now its a monster huge compilation of the Goddess Festival Days and Zelda's birthday. Sorry its so long! Enjoy the fluffy cuteness!**

**~Leila**

**Edited 10/2/2012**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twelve (Zelda)<p>

Love. An intense feeling of deep affection, or a deep romantic attachment to someone. Love. It's an emotion I've never given much thought about. An emotion reserved for my father and my father only. Love. Just an word, a feeling, a stupid crazy thing young people do. Nothing worth my time. Love. Why is that the only thing I can think about right now? Love. I've never really loved anyone in that way before. Never had a crush, never said yes to any dates. I kept myself inside my own protective bubble. And the bubble just got popped.

I never admitted it to myself until tonight. Sure, it's come up in my thoughts before, but I've denied myself every time. Now I think it's time I address it: I'm falling in love with Link Carstairs.

Why now? Why is this crazy thing called love hitting me now? Was it him twirling me over his head dancing at Telma's? Or was it seeing him bleeding and bruised at my doorway, holding his little sister's hand? Maybe it was holding him as he cried in the middle of the night, or when he tied the bracelet around my wrist on the beach. Maybe I've always liked him but it never deepened until now. I absent-mindedly rubbed my finger over the smooth piece of sea glass on the bracelet. It reminded me of him; the glass was almost the exact shade of his eyes.

After I climbed off that damned jet ski and joined the girls on the pontoon, they instantly bombarded me with questions, telling me that my eyes were full of pure affection and love as I had walked onto the boat. At that moment, I started to realize it. That what they were saying was true. I am in love.

That's why I stand now in front of my mirror, adjusting the neckline of my red dress for Din's day, making sure my hair and everything is perfect for him. Usually I don't put too much effort into my appearance for the Goddess Festival, as it's only been my father and I, but now it's Link, and now I care.

My makeup had to be perfect, down to every last stroke of mascara, and not a single strand of hair is out of place. And last but not least, the gold circlet every girl in Hyrule wears on Din's day was straight and rested gracefully on my head like a princess. In Hyrule, all girls wear red dresses and gold circlets to honor Din, whether the circlet is actual gold, copper, plastic, or even cardboard.

I glanced at my reflection one last time, still concerned about the low neckline of my dress, before turning and flouncing out of my room an down the stairs. He should be here any minute, and I felt a strange excitement. What is wrong with me? Don't I hate him? Wasn't he 'Public Enemy Number One' last week? I sighed. But there's just something about him, the way he smirks at me during class, his laugh, the way he hugged me back last night...

A knock at the door drew me away from my fantasies.

"Coming!" I yelled, grabbing my gold sandals and lacing them up. I flung the door open and saw Link and Aryll both grinning up at me, both in red and Aryll's circlet flashing in the porch lights. She still held that telescope of hers. I wonder what significance it is to her. Maybe it was her mother's.

"Hiya, Zelda!" Aryll called, her grin widening. I smiled at her.

"Hey, Aryll." I turned and saw Link looking at me, his expression unreadable.

"You look nice," he finally said. My heart fluttered and I tried not to blush.

"Thanks. You do too. Should we go?" I asked. He nodded and I closed and locked my door. I can't be so strange around him! It's still Link, and just because I figured out my feelings for him doesn't mean I have to act like a lovestruck idiot!

We stepped out onto the streets, joining the parade of red streaming towards Castle Square, the town central right next to the castle. The King has never been allowed to the Festival ceremonies though, he has to watch from the castle balcony for "safety precautions." I assume it's all because of the Princesses and how they were assumably murdered. Poor boy had his life ruined just from that one event.

"Did you bring candles?" I asked Link, suddenly remembered that I forgot mine. He grinned and held up three red candles.

"I figured you'd forget. I never do, though. This is my favorite day. Fire!" he proclaimed with an insane grin. I laughed.

"Can you say, 'pyromaniac'?" I asked. He nodded eagerly.

"That was my first word!"

Aryll snorted. "It was not. Your first word was rainbow," she corrected, ignoring Link's glare. I snickered.

"Don't be giggling at me, Highness! What was _your_ first word?" he snapped. I thought for a moment.

"Onomatopoeia," I said. His eyebrows shot up.

"What?"

"You know, a literary device that consists of words sounding like their meaning, such as buzz, zoom-"

"I know what it means, Einstein, but what? _That_ was your first word?" he asked.

"So I'm told."

"Suddenly I feel very uneducated."

Castle Square was coming into view, and I could see a massive, unlit bonfire in the center of it all. Priestesses clothed in red robes were piling more logs onto the already massive collection of wood as I watched. We joined the ever growing circle around the fire pit, and Link dug into his pocket and produced a pack of matches. We lit our candles and were silent, watching the priestesses.

Night had fallen, and a chill had crept into the air. The ocean surf served as a slow background noise. Candle flames flickered like thousands of fireflies in the night. Suddenly, one of the priestesses opened her mouth an began to sing in a high, clear voice, chanting in ancient Hylian.

_In the beginning, there was nothing._

We all began moving in a slow circle around the unlit fire as she spoke, processing slowly and solemnly with our candles.

_There was no land, no mountains, forests or oceans. The world was a dark place._

We all started to move in a faster circle as the chant began to pick up.

_Din with her stunning beauty and powerful flames flew over the nothingness._

One of the priestesses threw her candle into the fire, causing a massive blaze. The circle moved faster still.

_She scorched the land from the void, filling the space. She summoned mountains from the earth and carved the rivers. She dug lake beds and oceans with her own strong hands._

The crowd began to step towards the blaze, and joined in with the chant, looking towards the heavens.

_Oh beautiful Din, grant us you strength and give us the power to work another year. May we one day be graced with your heavenly presence!_

The remaining priestesses threw their candles into the flames, making them surge higher into the sky, and the circle stepped forward. One by one, every citizen of the town tossed their candle into the bonfire, and the flames rose higher, looking like a blazing pillar to the heavens. I stepped back, glancing at Link and Aryll, then looking back at the mighty inferno.

They looked so much like the fires haunting my dreams lately, flickering closer to me, daring me to step forward and be engulfed by their heat and burned by their essence.

_Oh, powerful red goddess, may your flames be eternal and burn forever, guiding us to your home in the heavens._

With that, we all stepped back and the priestesses threw their arms up, as if offering the fire to Din, and the bonfire brightened and grew causing some young children to scream. I looked over at Link, who looked at me and smiled. In the firelight, he was truly handsome; his blue eyes reflected the flames, and shadows danced across his face making him look mysterious. My heart almost melted with the flames.

The priestesses chanted something to the fire, then the column suddenly shrank and returned to a normal bonfire size. The circle seized to spin, and the we all put for fingers to our lips and raised them to the sky, as a thanks to the goddesses for all they have done.

And the ceremony was over, or at least the mandatory part. Now is usually when mothers take their younger children home to bed. Now is also when the dancing begins. As soon as the priestesses dispersed, processing silently back to their temple, and all who wished to leave left, a small band of musicians began to set up.

Now is when we dance the customary Dance of the Fire, almost the same dance I did with Link at Telma's. It's a circle dance revolving around the fire in the center instead of a central couple, and you switch partners every twenty steps, I believe it is. Then, if you end up without a partner, you stand off to the sidelines and clap to keep the beat. The last couple left is said to be blessed by Din herself.

"We should be good at this," Link said next to me, nudging my arm. I nodded.

"As long as someone doesn't step on my foot like a drunk horse. That wasn't aimed to anyone in particular," I said, giving him a look. He raised his eyebrows.

"I do not dance like a drunk horse! I am the best male dancer in Hyrule," he informed me. Aryll nodded.

"He mastered the sacred dance of 'ring around the rosy' at a young age," she agreed.

I couldn't help but laugh at the look that crossed Link's face. Aryll looked pleased with herself and flashed her brother a smug grin, which he returned with a glare. The music started up slowly, our cue to find a partner. Link and I immediately locked eyes, and we intertwined our fingers and he cautiously placed a hand on my hip. My heartbeat quickened and I gave him a nervous smile. Aryll found a boy about her age and waved to us before she began to twirl slowly.

"This is amateur stuff. I'm already to the 'backflip and raise pretty girls above my head' level," Link boasted in a teasing way as we continued our slow circle. The music was beginning to pick up, and the tune did indeed sound like the flickering of flames.

"Shut up. You should never do anything like that again," I muttered. He grinned, and we released hands and grabbed hands with our new partners. He waved and shouted,

"See you later, alligator!"

"After a while, crocodile!" I called back. Something flashed across his face, but I didn't see what it was before he was lost in the crowd of swirling couples.

The first person was left without a partner, and began clapping in time with the music like a good sport. I was tossed from couple to couple, and the clapping crowd grew considerably larger. We were spinning faster now, and partners flashed by without giving me time to recognize faces. I danced with Roy once. Aryll left the circle. I caught Link's eye somewhere in the blur. Little things like that.

I grabbed someone else's hand, and smiled at them politely. This man as wearing a red mask that covered half his face, but his smile was still blue eyes were shining from underneath the mask, and they looked powerful, wise, and... familiar.

"How are you this evening?" he asked as we turned. I smiled.

"Very well, sir. And you?"

"Very, very well!" he exclaimed. I laughed a bit.

"Why is that?"

"It's a secret," he said, his eyes sparkling mysteriously. Then he frowned. "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. What's your name, my fair lady?" he asked. He looked familiar to me as well. Hm.

"Zelda. And what might your name be?"

Something flashed in his eyes, and he opened his mouth to say something, but we were swept away by our separate partners.

"Mattie!" he called as we were pulled our different ways. "My name is Mattie!"

Mattie. Why did that sound so familiar? I frowned as I was bounced from partner to partner. The circle was at its fastest, the music at its climax. The roar of clapping hands was deafening, and I was becoming dizzy from all the turning and switching. It was like being lost in time, or a sock in a washing machine, going around and around and around...

Suddenly, I was steadied again. I felt a familiar pair of hands wrap around mine, and my partner whispered in my ear, his breath warm against my neck,

"Hey, Princess."

I looked up and smiled at Link.

"Hey, you," I whispered, my head clearing instantly. We twirled again to the beat of the clapping hands. The beat was becoming erratic though, uneven and more like applause than a steady downbeat. We stopped turning, and for the first time I noticed that we were the last couple left, standing alone amid a ring of applauding people. I blinked, forgetting what that meant for the moment, then I smiled.

"We win!" I cried happily.

We turned and faced the crowd, holding hands, as is custom, and the crowd bestowed the traditional blessing upon us in ancient Hylian: _May Din bless you with her fortune. May you prosper in this coming year. May you be favored by the goddesses and live long happy lives. We wish this blessing upon you now and for many years to come._

I smiled. Usually, I'm the one giving that blessing, not receiving it. We stepped out of the center and back into the crowds as the band struck up a different tune and couples began dancing again.

"Where's Aryll?" Link asked, "I thought I saw her come this way..." he trailed off as his eyes rested on a stone bench, where a certain blonde girl was curled up and fast asleep, telescope clutched tightly in her small hands. He scooped her up into his arms gently, causing her to stir slightly in her sleep.

"Let's get her home," I whispered. He nodded, and we wove our way through the dancing crowd until we broke free into the cool stone streets once again. Link let out a breath of relief.

"Thank freaking goddesses. I was overheating," he said as we walked. I nodded, savoring the cold breeze.

"I always get so hot during Din's day," I agreed. "The fire is just so..."

"Overpowering?" Link suggested.

"Exactly. And all the people and the dancing... It's not my favorite festival day," I admitted.

"It's totally mine. Despite the hellish temperature, I enjoy the awesome fire."

"Oh yes, I know. Your face during the chant was priceless. You looked like one of those maniac scientists," I told him with a smirk.

"When I get fired from the whole dragon tamer thing, I'm totally becoming a mad scientist. Can't you see me with those giant goggles and crazy hair? Aryll and I both agreed it's totally me," Link said as we turned onto his street.

"You would rock those goggles. And Shad would be proud," I remarked as he pushed open his front door.

The house was empty, and I made an educated guess that his aunt and uncle were celebrating Din's day surrounded by empty shot glasses. Link dashed up the stairs holding Aryll's sleeping form, and I followed slowly, trying to be quiet as to not wake the sleeping girl.

I entered the bedroom cautiously, not sure what to expect. I was surprised to find that they shared a room; a giant wall separating the two halves. Aryll's side looked a lot like mine; the floor was littered with clothes, dolls, books, blankets and everything else imaginable. Her treasured harp sat on a stand on her bedside table. Link's half looked barren and empty, like a monk's living quarters. Everything was spotless and not even a crumb was on the floor.

Link gently laid his sister in her bed and wrapped a few of the many blankets around her. He slid the telescope out of her hands, set it on the table by the harp and put a stuffed whale in her arms as a replacement. He kissed her forehead and murmured a few words to her as I watched. He's so protective of her, and I know he'd never let anything happen to her. The sight of him bent over her like that warms my heart.

He straightened, then beckoned me over to him towards the window.

"Come on," he whispered as he opened the window and climbed up. I followed him up onto his roof and found him standing, looking straight up at the stars. I walked over to join him.

"What are we doing up here?" I asked. He grinned.

"The fireworks, dummy. We have to see the fireworks," he told me as he sat down on the stone and gestured for me to sit next to him. I did, keeping my eyes on the sky.

"They should start soon," he said. "They always light them off right after the dances."

As if on cue, a burst of red shot into the air and exploded in a shower of crimson sparks. A second burst soon followed, then a third gold one. I smiled, and Link smiled back, his face lighting up from the light the fireworks gave off. A series of red and purple bursts were launched into the air, followed by green ones that illuminated almost the entire sky.

I laughed and shivered in the cold air, not caring and keeping my eyes glued to the sky. My father never watched the fireworks. Ever. He told me it was childish and dangerous. If only he could see the gorgeous beauty of the crackling lights.

"You cold?" Link asked, noticing my chattering teeth. I nodded, still watching the display in the skies. I felt his warm arms wrap around me and pull me closer to him. I was warmed almost instantly, and I smiled to myself. My heart was racing, and I hoped he couldn't tell. He ran his hand slowly through my hair, stroking it silently. And there we sat, on his roof on Din's day. I was wrapped in his arms and we were watching the fireworks. And that's when I realized it.

He loved me too.

* * *

><p>(Next night)<p>

I knocked on the door of Link's apartment lightly while pushing up my crown made of woven leaves with my other free hand. Farore's day requires at least some sort of greenery, as well as a green cloak. My thoughts drifted back to last night. I smiled as I recalled the warmth of his arms wrapped around me, like my safeguard from the outer world. It literally felt like the world had stopped and that only Link and I existed. Just Link. Just me.

The door swung open revealing not Link, but Aryll, clothed in a large cloak that pooled around her feet with a white flower tucked behind her ear. She stepped out of the house and shut the door behind her, with no Link in sight. I glanced at her quizzically.

"Where's Link?" I asked her.

"He's not coming. He had one of his nightmares last night, and he's been throwing up almost all day," she informed me. My heart sank slightly, but I managed a sympathetic smile.

"Those nightmares really aren't healthy. You should take him to a doctor," I told her as we began walking.

"They can't do anything. Only Link can solve the problems he's having," she said simply. I frowned.

"Surely you could take him to a therapist or a shrink or something. He has to talk to someone!"

Aryll shrugged and glanced up at me. "He might talk to you."

I grinned in spite of myself. "I'll try."

We joined the massive line of green-hooded figures, all journeying into the woods, the path lit by floating green lanterns. When I was younger, the lanterns mystified me. I was convinced they were fairies sent by Farore herself, instructed to guide our way. As we traveled deeper into the forest, I felt Aryll slip her small hand into mine. I looked down, and saw a small light of fear in her usually smiling eyes.

"I don't like the woods at night," she whispered. "That's when the things can come grab me."

"Nothing can get you while I'm here," I assured her with a smile. She's so cute! She looked unconvinced, though.

"You don't understand," she sighed, with a wary glance at the woods. "You just don't understand."

I squeezed her hand but remained silent, not wanting to respond. She gets into these moods, where she no longer a cheerful, innocent ten year old, but a thousand year old wise woman. Something so ancient and deep in her voice, and her eyes...

The procession arrived in a clearing around a spring, where the priestesses, now clothed in green, stood ankle deep in the water. Lanterns glowed all around, bathing the scene in a soft green light. As soon as the clearing filled in, the priestesses formed a circle and began whispering to the water of the spring. The water began glowing green, and a priestess began to sing.

_Farore, with your bright winds and courageous deeds, you gave us life._

The water began flashing to keep the beat of the chant, and the crowd began to sway and hum.

_Covering the barren lands with your splendor, your gave us the trees. You created animals, and you created the diverse races of this fine land. Oh Farore, you taught us the beauty of the land._

Water began shooting up in spurts, arcing over the large crowd and creating a dome of shining green waters above our heads. The rest of the crowd joined in on the chant.

_Oh Farore, Farore, free and cheerful, grant us your courage and lend us your spirit to aid us in our everyday lives as your humble servants. Bless us with your luck, and remind us to be brave._

The water dome above us shattered, causing a light mist to fall over the crowd, acting as a symbol of cleansing and renewing. After Farore's day, the soul is purified and we can start anew with a fresh slate.

The mist fell over me, and I closed my eyes to take it all in. If I concentrate, I can almost feel all of the bad deeds being washed out of me; being sucked away by the cleansing water. I wished Link was here. I know Farore is his favorite goddess, despite the fact that he likes the Din's day ceremony more.

The priestesses gathered in a circle once more and whispered, and the water slowly faded back to it's normal clear shade. The crowd pressed their fingers to their lips, then raised them to the sky once again, as it is customary each night.

Now is when each citizen claims a lantern as their own, whispers a prayer or a wish to the green goddess, then throws it into the winds to be carried to the heavens. Still holding Aryll's hand, I led her over to two lanterns floating side by side. We each grabbed ahold of one, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

_Farore, oh beautiful goddess of the winds, hear your lowly servant's prayer. I know this seems ridiculous, but it is my wish. I wish for Link, your most high honor. I wish for Link more than anything in the world. Hear my prayer, oh mother of the winds. Your servant is calling._

I opened my eyes and threw my lantern up into the sky, watching as it floated lazily up, up, up, until it was one of hundreds and thousands of green lanterns floating up in the sky. I looked over at Aryll, and saw she still had her eyes squeezed tightly shut, her expression grave, and a single tear running down her cheek. I saw her whisper the words, "Wish me luck, my sister," into the glowing orb, then she opened her eyes and launched it into the sky.

She looked over at me and smiled.

"Did you make your wish?" she asked, her face partly hidden in the cowl of her cloak. I nodded.

"I did. And you?" She nodded.

"I did."

Throughout the years I've always made childish wishes, like "Please let me find fifty Rupees," or "Please make Daddy let me have a puppy." They were never serious, or even true, I suppose. This is my first wish to the heavenly goddess where I am serious and hopeful. Hopeful for a positive outcome.

Aryll and I exited the dense forest, our feet happy to find cobblestones instead of the worn, pine-needle covered dirt path. The moon was shining above, and the sky was still filled with the many green drifting lanterns, floating like fireflies in the night. We walked down the path in silence, her hand still wrapped in mine.

"So, your birthday is coming up," Aryll said, shattering the delicate silence like a child dropping a china plate.

"You are correct. It's the big one, too," I told her, laughing softly. She grinned mischievously.

"You know, Link got a present for you," she said, a smug look on her face. I blushed a little and laughed nervously.

"Did he? Wow, that was thoughtful of him!"

"He'd do anything for you, you know. He talks about you all the time," Aryll stated matter-of-factly. My heart pace quickened. A reluctant smile spread across my face.

"What does he want for his birthday? It's only the day after mine," I said, realizing for the first time that I hadn't got him a present.

"Yep, his birthday is on Hero's day, right after yours on Princess day," she said, giggling to herself like it was some kind of joke.

"Yes, Aryll, but what does he want?" I asked. She looked straight into my eyes, and said in a very serious, simple tone,

"You."

* * *

><p>(Next night)<p>

I was falling into a Goddess Festival routine; spend hours perfecting my appearance for Link, pick up Link, spend time with Link. Hopefully, he'd actually be there tonight for me to pick up and spend time with. I enjoy Aryll and love her as much as I would love my own sister, but the love I feel for Link, it's... exciting. My heart beats faster, adrenaline rushes through my veins, and I'm happy for hours on end after I speak to him once. It's like he's magic, or my perfect other half.

I spun girlishly in my favorite blue dress, admiring the way I looked. My golden hair fell in waves, complimenting the dress, and my eyes popped more because of the matching blue. The dress hugged my figure, reminding me that I was a woman in two days. I gazed at myself narcissistically for a moment more before I turned away from the mirror. Link had better be coming tonight, I thought to myself. Nayru's day is the day I put the most effort into my appearance. Especially this Nayru's day, as this is the time I'll be spending it with Link.

Probably the last time, I realized suddenly. My father would never approve of a boyfriend, and he would certainly not approve of Link, boyfriend or not. But Link isn't my boyfriend, and probably never will be. I frowned and tried to ignore the ache in my heart and the slight burning of my hand. I need to get out.

I bounded down the stairs and laced up my gold sandals again, my fingers slipping over the knots. Before I left, I picked up the bouquet of white roses I had purchased earlier. They're my favorite flower. Stepping out into the pleasantly warm night, I shut my door behind me and breathed in deeply; savoring the fresh air. I began the walk to Link's house, liking the way the dress swished around my knees as I walked. My father hates this dress; he tells me it's immodest and not fit for a lady. He's probably right, I know it's strapless and tight and a little too short, but I like it all the same. I think I wear it fine, with the same grace and poise as I wear everything else.

I walked up the steps to Link's house once again, and knocked on the old red door. I heard some bumping and yells from the inside, then the door was thrown open revealing a grinning Link. He looked dashing in blue, I decided. His eyes stood out and shone more than usual.

"Evening, Highness. We'll be ready in a second," he said. He turned and yelled up the stairs, "Fishface! Hurry it up, you look fine! What is it with women and getting dressed for formal events! Hurry or we'll miss all the boats!"

Some crashing could be heard, then Aryll dashed out of their room and leapt down the stairs, clad in a deep blue dress with her hair in her usual pigtails.

"No need to yell, impatient little parrot. I'm right here," she said, sliding her shoes on and stepping outside next to me.

"Parrot?" he scoffed. "I am most certainly _not_ a parrot."

"You're annoying enough," I pointed out. He glared at me and shut the front door.

"And you're not helping! You didn't even say, 'Hi how are you tonight Link? I'm sorry you were feeling bad'," he said, brushing some of his golden hair out of his eyes.

"I was getting there. Are you feeling alright now?" I asked. He nodded as we walked towards the docks.

"Yeah, I was just sick for a while. Then I felt better, but I was getting headaches and hearing whispers, and my hand burned like high hell," he said glancing at him bandaged hand. I looked at my own birthmark hand. It had been burning a little, now that I think about it...

"But in short, yes, I'm fine."

We arrived at the semi-crowded docks; people were already piling into the two-person rowboats and were rowing off into the ocean.

"Are you sitting on my lap, or are we making Zelda swim?" Link asked Aryll, his tone playful. I shoved him while Aryll giggled.

"I'll go with one of my friends. You two go, I think you need some alone time," she giggled, wiggling her eyebrows at us. My face flushed a bit, but I nodded.

"Which friend?" Link asked. Aryll seemed taken aback, but she quickly recovered.

"Um... Na... Nadia. Her name is Nadia. And I better go, I see her now, bye!" she cried, dashing off down the street towards a crowd of people. Link shrugged.

"Alright, then. Nadia. Now help me get this thing in the water," he commanded, pointing to one of the many boats.

"Did you bring flowers?" I asked.

"Of course I- oh. Nope," he said. I laughed.

"A girl's selling some right there, go get some now!"

He nodded and made his way over to the young girl, where a small line had formed, consisting of the rest of the forgetful people. I watched him as he stood, trying not to make it too obvious I was staring, when I heard a voice behind me.

"Fancy seeing you here again."

I whirled around, surprised, and saw Mattie again. This time he was sporting a blue mask. I smiled.

"Hello again," I greeted him politely.

"Hello. Zelda, wasn't it?" he asked. I nodded.

"That's me. The one and only," I joked. He nodded, but didn't smile.

"I knew a girl named Zelda once. Do you have any family?" he asked curiously. Something told me he was directing the conversation in a certain way, and something else told me he was good at getting the answers he wanted.

"I do. I live with my father."

His brow furrowed. "Your father? Any siblings?"

"Nope. I'm an only child," I said. He opened his mouth to say something, but froze as castle guards came into view.

"It was a pleasure speaking to you tonight, but if anyone asks you, I was never here," he said, backing away slowly from the guards, trying to avoid their attention. I nodded, but frowned. Is he some kind of criminal.

"Likewise. Have a good night."

And with that, he was gone, sprinting away down the streets. I followed his figure until it disappeared over the horizon, in the direction of the castle. Link returned by my side, a neat, hand-picked bouquet of poppies in his hand.

"Who was that?" he asked casually.

"I don't know. I danced with him on Din's day, and I ran into him today. He might have been following me," I said, still staring out at the castle. I didn't believe my own story, though. I'm just confused. Something in the back of my mind is calling, something familiar about that young man...

_"Mattie! Mattie!" the little girl cried as she toddled across the grassy field. A boy, a little older than she, with white blonde hair and freckles looked up, breaking his concentration. He had been shooting targets with a makeshift slingshot all afternoon.  
>"What is it, Zel?" he asked. The little girl grinned, showing off her pearly baby teeth and held out her closed fist.<br>"Lookit! I found it for you!" she said. He leaned in quick to try to see, but she shushed him. "No! You'll scare it! Quietly," she instructed. Slowly, she opened her closed fist, revealing a metallic blue butterfly, opening and closing its wings slowly. He grinned, showing his two front teeth missing.  
>"You caught it yourself?" he asked. She nodded proudly.<br>__"It landed right on my hand!" she cried, thrusting her right hand towards him. A triangular mark was clearly displayed, faintly glowing in the daylight.  
>"That's a special butterfly. It's called a Blessed Butterfly," he told the young girl, letting the bug crawl on his finger. He laughed as it did so. "It tickles!" he laughed. A mischievous grin crept onto her face.<br>__"Like this!" and she thrust her hands onto his stomach and tickled him, and he laughed, startling the butterfly, and fell to the grass. She followed giggling, and they sat laughing and rolling in the grass, until a voice like thunder cut through their joy like a razor.  
>"ZELDA! MATTHEW! STOP THIS INSTANT!"<em>

I blinked, shaking myself out of whatever strange vision that was. Link had already dragged the boat into the water, and motioned for me to sit.

"You done creepily staring into space?" he asked as I sat across from him, laying my roses in my lap.

"Har har. Start rowing, swabbie," I grumbled. He raised his eyebrows, but complied.

"Only Aryll is allowed to call me that. She has it trademarked, I swear," he told me as he rowed slowly. Nayru's day is an individual or couples thing versus a large crowd. You chant individually rather than having the priestesses do it for you, as Nayru favored independent thinkers.

Link continued to row the boat out along the moonlight water, passing other boats as we went. He showed no sign of stopping, simply scanning the border of trees carefully. He noticed me watching and smiled.

"I have to find the right spot. It's around here somewhere," he said, taking us closer to the trees. "Aha!" He steered the boat straight towards a willow tree.

"Um, we're going to hit that," I said, nervously eyeing the oncoming tree. He simply grinned. "Link..."

The boat pushed through the curtain of willow branches, and we found ourselves in a small, private lagoon, surrounded by the canopy of the willow. Some moonlight streak through the branches, illuminating the water. Fireflies flitted around, and frogs chirped merrily. Link set the paddles down and smiled.

"I know what I'm doing, Fairchild. Don't doubt me."

"It's beautiful," I told him. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Aryll and I have been coming here for years. Run your hand through the water," he instructed. I glanced at him quizzically.

"Why?"

"Just do it!" he cried, gesturing down. I did as instructed and ran my hand through the lagoon water. I gasped as a trail of what looked like fairy dust followed my hand, and when I jerked my hand up, it glowed and sparkled with a blue light. Link smiled.

"It only happens on Nayru's day," he said. "Aryll and I have tried every other day."

I ran my hand through the water again, watching the trail of sparkles that followed. "We should start the prayers," I said, breaking out of my reverie. He nodded.

"You lead."

I closed my eyes and clasped my hands. "_Nayru, sweet and wise, your heavenly waters and clear air sustains us all," _I began. Link joined in on the next line, though he spoke rather than singing along with me. "_You spread your law and order, sprinkling your wisdom across the land so that we too may be like you. Your wise words govern us, you give us our intelligence to carry through life everyday. Nayru, guide us and grant us your wisdom to carry through another year."_

I opened my eyes and pressed four fingers to my lips and raised my hand up. Link did the same, and our fingers met in the middle. I smiled and blushed a bit, quickly pulling my hand down. It burned more intense now, and I was hearing soft voices. _Nayru's... Chosen... Daughter... Princess... Wisdom... Destiny..._ Were a few of the words I heard. I shook them out of my head.

"And now we give our sacrifices to the holy goddess of wisdom," I proclaimed, holding up my bouquet of flowers. Link did the same, and we simultaneously tossed the bouquets into the water, where they would be carried and washed away with thousands of other offerings to Nayru herself. I always gave white roses, my favorite flower. I think they represent sweetness and purity.

"And now we can just relax and enjoy each other's company," Link said with a grin. I smiled back, and the familiar excitement was there once again, coursing through my veins.

"Well, are you excited? We're almost adults, and we're only a day apart!" I exclaimed. He grinned evilly.

"Then I'll be a legal adult, and I can vote!"

"That's a scary thought."

We both laughed, and Link looked into my eyes and grabbed both my hands. My body was tingling with excitement.

"How far are we apart? What time were you born?" he asked.

"Eleven fifty-nine at night. I was almost a Hero's day baby," I told him.

"No way! I was born at midnight, barely on Hero's day!"

"That's so weird! I wonder why that is," I said, squeezing his hands. He smiled and looked me straight in the eye.

"Maybe I couldn't live a minute without you," he said softly.

My heart melted, and I looked up at him. He began leaning in slowly towards me. My heart was doing the crazy happy dance, and I began leaning in slowly too, closing my eyes. I could feel him closer now, his warmth right next to me. He leaned in a little farther, and our lips brushed, sending jolts of electricity through me. I gasped a bit, and before the kiss could deepen, I turned away so the kiss landed on my cheek instead. Link pulled away, his face as red as I expected mine was.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. I shook my head.

"Don't be, I..." I trailed off, not sure where I was going.

I what? The whole way as we rowed to shore, surrounded by other boats and floating flowers, I thought _I what_? Why didn't I let him kiss me? Why didn't I kiss him? Why didn't I? I_what_? The row home was a quiet one, with my thoughts deafening. I what? I what? Why didn't I? I was practically crying as we got off the boat, him offering his hand to me as we walked. I should finish it now, just kiss him here and now... And then I heard it, loud and clear.

_My chosen. It is almost time._

* * *

><p>(Next night (Link))<p>

I paced back and forth in the bathroom, glaring at myself in the mirror. Why did I do that? Why am I so stupid? She wasn't ready, and now she probably hates me again! Why didn't I just... Leave her alone? _Because she's beyond beautiful. Because she makes me laugh whenever I think I can't. Because I'm madly in love with her. _Last night she'd run off like she'd seen a ghost, yelling a goodbye as she ran off into the night, leaving me alone with my emotions. Dammit me and my stupid assuming! I just thought... I thought what? I glared at myself bitterly and pulled my white shirt over my head. She probably won't even come tonight. It'll be me and Aryll.

I threw open the bathroom door and walked into our room, finding Aryll burrowed underneath her covers, not looking me in the eye.

"I'm not coming!" she squeaked before diving back underneath the blanket.

"What do you mean you're not coming? Hurry up and get dressed or we'll be late," I snapped, throwing her covers back. Her eyes were wide, and she shook her head, snatching the bedcovers back from me.

"No! I'm not coming! You skipped a day, so I'm skipping! It's fair now!" she protested.

"I was sick, Aryll. Farore would not have wanted me throwing up on her procession."

"I'm sick too, see?" she said in a hoarse voice she hadn't been using seconds ago, throwing in a few fake coughs.

"Look, missy, get your butt up and out of bed for the ceremony! This is so unlike you! And you know I didn't purposely miss it, and while you were at the ceremony, I was doing those three hours worth of repentance prayers you're supposed to do. Missing a Goddess day because you want to miss it is not an excuse," I told her, throwing the blankets back again. She squealed and groped for it.

"Link! You just don't get it! I can't go!"

"You can and you will, that's final! Get dressed now!" I commanded, my voice rising more than I wanted it to. I hate yelling at Aryll; it's like kicking a puppy. She dragged herself out of bed, and stuck her tongue out at me.

"Fine. Get out so I can change," she hissed venomously. I nodded and left the roof, jogging down the stairs to actually eat something. I was stopped by a knock on the door. Who the hell is here? I opened it, expecting to see one of my aunt and uncle's friends, but almost fainted on the spot when I saw who it was.

Wearing a pretty white dress and smiling radiantly up at me was Zelda.

"You look so surprised," she giggled, steeping into the entryway. I blushed a little and rubbed the back of my neck.

"I thought you, ah, wouldn't want to see me after last night," I admitted sheepishly. Her grin broadened.

"Why wouldn't I? Last night was one of the best nights of my life," she told me, leaning forward a little. Holy Farore, she wants to kiss me! I began leaning in to close the gap...

"Ew! Go get a room!" came a yell from upstairs. I pulled back and swore silently.

"Aryll, I know you're mad at me, but really?" I asked, glaring at her. She giggled deviously and joined us at the bottom of the stairs.

"Darn, I guess I'm grounded to my room for the night. Bye!" she called, trying to make a dash upstairs. I caught her by her white skirt.

"Nice try. Shoes on, and we're out the door. Do you want to bring your harp? It's Hylia's day after all," I reminded her. She shook her head vigorously.

"No, bringing my harp is a bad idea," she said. "It'd make it worse," she muttered, half to herself.

"Well, then, we should be going," Zelda said, looking up from the floor and grabbing the door handle. I nodded and grabbed Aryll's hand, dragging her with me out the door. She literally dug her heels into the ground, the little turd.

We walked down our street, turned onto Zelda's street, then onto Main Street, Aryll still making me drag her all this way. I was tired now, and the last thing I want is to sweat in a white shirt. I turned and faced my little sister.

"Seriously, move your ass and start walking," I snapped. She glared at me, crossed her arms, and obeyed. What is with her tonight? She's never like this, not once in the ten years she's been alive.

"I didn't like going to the ceremonies when I was younger either," Zelda told Aryll. "But as you get older, you understand it more and they're actually very interesting." Aryll turned her glare onto Zelda.

"It's not that. I can't tell you, and you wouldn't understand!" she cried in frustration.

"You can tell me anything," I said softly. She looked ready to cry, and shook her head at me.

"I can't. I just can't, Link. Not now. You'll understand someday," she whispered, turning away from me and lapsing into silence.

I opened my mouth to say something, but shut it abruptly, not sure how to respond. She's honestly scaring me now. It must have shown on my face, because Zelda smiled sympathetically at me and laced her fingers around mine, giving my hand a squeeze. I squeezed it back gratefully as we reached the beach where Hylia's ceremony is to be held. Swirling designs of birds and skies were glowing blue on the sand, causing me to marvel at the use of magic. The priestesses have always fascinated me, and they do to this day.

How cool would it be to snap you fingers and say, "Abraca-SANDWICH!" And boom, a sandwich appears. I would never have to do anything ever again! But I'd get fat. That would be unpleasant, so I'd magic away my fatness.

Zelda grabbed one of the white paper lanterns for us to share, and we joined the huddle of people surrounding the priestesses. The head priestess was wearing white robe like the rest of them, but in addition she donned a sheer white veil and stepped forward with a golden harp, though hers was fancier and probably more expensive than Aryll's. She began strumming it, playing a lovely melody, then she began to sing. I was surprised to hear Aryll joining in right away, her voice lilting over the crowd. Somehow, she knew every word by heart.

_Hylia, youngest sister of the Three, you descended upon this world and blessed it with personality, gave us spirit, and gave us the sacred blessing of free will._

The priestesses' fingers were flying over the strings of the harp, blurring together.

_You gave us grace and beauty, you gave us laughter and smiles. You gave us music, you gave us birds. You blessed the land with your own angel race, the Hylians. You gave us the ability to love, to dedicate ourselves to one person forever. Hylia, you made the world perfect after your sisters created it. Lead us in our lives and help us share your eternal joy._

Aryll looked distressed now' she had stopped singing and was jumping up and down, biting her lip nervously. Her fists were clenched, and I was alarmed.

"Aryll, are you alright?" I asked, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"No!" she cried, and she dashed off. As she ran, her fists open and I saw her hands glowing with a bright white light. I blinked and she was gone, disappearing behind a building. Zelda was staring after her too, her pretty face contorted in confusion.

"Is she okay?" she asked.

"She'll be alright," I said, more to reassure myself.

She's probably just faking to go home.

The last few notes of the harp rang through the beach, echoing across the waves. A priestess opened a cage, releasing a pure white bird, and two smaller birds; one pink and one green. The white represents Hylia, free as a bird, and the smaller two are the Hero and Princess. As the flew overhead, the crowd released their lanterns as well, to follow after the holy birds. It's similar to Farore's day, but the lanterns aren't supposed to go to the heavens. They represent our freedom and Hylia's spirit. As the glowing lantern disappeared over the horizon, the priestess struck up another tune on the harp. It was the Ballad of the Goddess Aryll had played with Zelda a few days prior. Couples began slow dancing around us, and I bowed and offered my hand to Zelda.

"Care to dance, fair lady?" I asked, grinning. She rolled her eyes.

"As long as I don't get lifted above your head," she said, taking my hand. I smiled as we swayed to the slow music. The actual song was faster, as I recall.

"I'm not making any promises," I told her.

"Now I'm concerned," she said as I twirled her out. She still looked uncomfortable, and I had a sickening feeling that it was all my fault.

"Zelda? Are you okay?" I asked tentatively, scared of her answer.

"I'm just a little worried for Aryll. She's seemed... different this past week, don't you think?" she asked, ceasing to dance in the middle of the beach. A man bumped into her and glared at us. "Sorry!" she called. "Let's talk elsewhere," she said, leading me to a fountain by the beach and sitting down, beckoning for me to do the same.

"She's been acting cynical lately, and running off like this. And last night, I saw her on a boat but she wasn't with anyone. Not that 'Nadia' she was talking about. I know she's your sister, but I'm concerned!" she told me. I nodded, still relived she wasn't disgusted by me.

"I know just what you're talking about. I hear her talking to someone, but when I walk in there's no one there. And she goes off on her walks for hours, and then comes home all huggy and emotional, telling me she loves me. And she always makes me swear to protect her, like she's scared someone's after her. I haven't thought much about it, but since you bring it up, it is really weird. And tonight, she didn't want to come. She has never acted like that. Ever," I said, tugging at a loose thread on my shirt. Zelda laid her head on my shoulder, and I smiled.

"She's an odd one, that's for sure," she murmured. "Maybe we should go to your house to check on her," she said, sitting up suddenly. I groaned as her warmth left my neck.

"That's probably a good idea, but I'd rather sit here with you," I whined. Zelda smiled at me mischievously.

"All in good time, my dear boy. Now come, let's check on your sister," she said, flouncing off ahead of me.

I followed her through the mess of streets, feeling like I was chasing an angel. She really is practically perfect in every way, just like Mary Poppins. I like Mary Poppins. Zelda turned and smiled at me, radiant like the stars, as if she heard my thoughts. She pushed my door open like she owned the place, and didn't hesitate to walk up the stairs. I grinned and followed her, opening the slightly ajar door.

Aryll was huddled under her covers again, and spoke the second we entered.

"_Don't _touch the covers. I _swear _I will _smite you_." Her tone was hard and commanding, and I crouched by the head of her bed where her little head was poking out.

"You alright, Captain?" I asked. She shook her head.

"I'm hitting some rough seas right now. It sucks like a suckerfish," she said with a small smile. Her eyelids were drooping. Zelda laughed and kneeled beside me.

"We were a little worried when you ran off," she told my drowsy sister. Aryll nodded and grinned up at us.

"You two look perfect next to each other," she murmured softly, stifling a yawn. "I think I made the right choice... Definitely the right choice," she mumbled as she closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.

Zelda gave me a look, but I shrugged and kissed her forehead. I don't know what the hell she's saying, and I probably never will. _I made the right choice._ She's an odd little sand crab. But she's my odd sand crab.

I don't know where I'd be or what I'd do without her.

* * *

><p>Chapter Sixteen (Zelda)<p>

I sat on my window seat, rocking back and forth, unable to contain my excitement. It's my birthday! The big one, the day I become a legal adult of seventeen! I smiled again to myself and laughed out of pure joy, excited for the day's events. Link and Aryll are taking me to lunch, out to Telma's I'm presuming, and then we're going to the boardwalk carnival, which I've never been to. There are no ceremonies on Princess and Hero's days, but the land sure throws one hell of a party.

I wish my father could be home. He would make this all complete. Or would he? If he was here, I wouldn't have been allowed to attend all the ceremonies with Link. I wouldn't being going with Link and Aryll today, either. I frowned. I want him here, but I really don't want him here. I leaned against the window again, looking for the two blonde heads that would eventually come walking down my street. It's past noon now, meaning that they should be here any minute.

Aside from the fact that it's my birthday, Link's birthday is tomorrow. And I've got something prepared for him. I smile just thinking about it. It should be perfect, if I can just muster the courage to do what I plan... Movement outside my window drew my attention, and sure enough I saw Link and Aryll walking hand in hand towards my house; Aryll holding her telescope with her harp strapped to her back with hair ribbons. I smiled to myself and leapt from my perch on the window seat and hopped down the stairs, a spring in my step. It's a great feeling to be an almost-adult; like walking on clouds. I threw open the front door just as they arrived on the porch, causing Link to jump.

"Holy sh-oot. Just because you're almost a legal adult does not mean you have the right to scare the bejesus out of innocent pedestrians. It just means you can be tried in court as an adult," Link reminded me. Aryll rolled her eyes and smiled at me.

"Happy birthday, Zelda," she said sweetly.

"Thanks, Aryll!"

"Yeah, happy birthday, Highness. Let's get a move on, I've got the full day planned out!" Link exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

"He's not kidding. He spent all last night devising every single minute," Aryll told me. I laughed and stepped out of the house.

"I'm sure he has!"

"I really did. It's brilliant. Now hurry, I made reservations at Telma's," he said.

"Oh, reservations. This must be fancy," I said, giggling as we walked. He glared at me.

"You can sit on the floor," he offered.

"I couldn't. You can, I insist."

"A man always puts a lady before him."

Aryll snickered as we crossed a street, almost getting slammed into by a speeding biker. It was sunny and cloudless, a slight breeze so it wouldn't be too hot... It truly is perfect for me today. I'm here with Link and Aryll, going to eat good food... We entered the tavern and were greeted with the usual huge smile from Telma.

"Happy birthday, hon!" she cried, enveloping me in a mighty bear hug. I smiled up at her, trying to focus on breathing and not on the fact that my windpipe was being crushed.

"Thanks... Telma," I gasped, struggling to form the words. She released me and laughed as I gasped for air.

"Sorry, sweet, I'm a hugger. Now come on, your table is waiting," she chuckled, leading us outside to the table Link and I had sat at on the first day. The same band was back, this time playing slower, more romantic music. I smiled at Link as we took our seats.

"This is so nice of you," I said. Link shrugged.

"It's your birthday. The Hero has to take care of his Princess on her birthday."

My cheeks flushed and I laughed like Ilia always does, understanding for the first time why she's so obsessed over him. What's not to love?

Telma returned with a Shirley Temple for Aryll, and a single strawberry lemonade with two straws. I couldn't help but smile as I saw it, and Telma winked and said,

"It was requested that you two share a beverage."

Link's gorgeous blue eyes locked with mine, the smile on his face making it obvious that he was the 'someone' Telma spoke of. I smiled back. This is the best birthday ever.

* * *

><p>Lights and sounds were everywhere, people were yelling and shouting, and I had to push through crowds with every step I took. I was suddenly reminded why I kept to myself. Link laughed at my terrified expression and grabbed my hand.<p>

"Take my hand, Zelda. We don't want you getting lost now," he teased. Aryll was jumping up and down, pointing at every single stand we passed.

"I want that one! Can we play that game? Wait no, that one's better. But that one has goldfish and- COTTON CANDY!" she cried, pointing at a vendor handing out what looked like wisps of cloud dyed pink and stuck on a stick.

"What's that?" I asked. Link and Aryll stopped dead in their tracks and stared at me.

"What's cotton candy?" they repeated in unison. My face grew hot.

"I've never had any," I replied indignantly. They didn't reply, they simply began dragging me over to the festively painted cart.

"Three small cotton candies, sir," Aryll requested, handing him a yellow Rupee she had produced from her pocket. The vendor smiled and took the money, then grabbed three sticks and swirled the first around in a machine full of wisps. It looked like big tufts of spider silk. He gave the first to Aryll, then dipped the other two and gave them to Link who handed one to me. The "small" was bigger than my head, and I eyed it suspiciously. Link and Aryll were already taking bites.

"Bite it," Link said like he was talking to a baby.

"You just bite it?"

"Again with the utensils. Be a caveman, Zelda. Think crude," he encouraged. I glared him and went back to staring down the mound of fluff in front of my face. I took a hesitant lick and found it very sweet, and the small amount of fluff melted on my tongue. I took a bigger bite and let it melt slowly again, savoring the sweet sugar.

"Isn' it good?" Aryll asked, her mouth stuffed full of cotton candy. I laughed at the sight of her cheeks puffed out so big and nodded.

"It's very sweet," I agreed. Aryll grinned through all the cotton candy, then dove back down to take another bite. Link rolled his eyes and nudged Aryll affectionately.

"She's insane when it comes to cotton candy. Forget Klondike bars, I'd be interested to see what she'd do for a stick of cotton candy," he teased, yanking on one of her pigtails.

"I'd do a lot for a stick of cotton candy," Aryll agreed. laughed and turned to watch a clown on stilts go by. A figure darted for cover as I turned, but I caught sight of a red ponytail as they hid. I narrowed my eyes and turned forwards again.

"What else do you do at carnivals besides eating spun sugar?" I asked, taking another bite of fluff and eyeing the games and rides around us. Face painting, ring toss, ferris wheels...

"Anything you want. It's your day!" Link told me, gesturing to the chaos around us. I grinned and spun around, looking for something to do. I saw a figure in a black hoodie dart behind the balloon pop stall.

"How about the ferris wheel," I suggested, looking at the nice, slow circle. I'm not a thrill seeker, and this seems more like my pace.

"Yes, my favorite!" Aryll cried, grabbing my hand and dragging me behind her. "Hurry up, let's get in line and go go go!"

"Slow down sand crab!" Link said, putting a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"I know Link, but it's my last day before I- Before you become an adult and you won't want to play with me," she said, putting on a pouty face. Her eyes told she was covering something up. She wanted to say something else. Link laughed.

"I'll always play with you! When I'm ninety and you're eighty-four and you want to play pirates, I'll be there with eye patches and wooden swords," Link assured her as we got in line for the ferris wheel. Luckily, it is free of charge.

"How high is it?" I asked.

"Scared of heights?"

"No, I'm just wondering!"

"If you say so! I'd say probably a hundred and fifty feet," Link said, squinting up at the ferris wheel, turning in the night.

"It is not!" I squeaked. "It has to be shorter than that, right?"

"I'm kidding, Z, relax. I don't know or care how tall it is. Are you trying to calculate turns per minute or something stupid like that?" he asked. My face was red. Actually, I was.

"Of course not," I lied. "I'm just curious."

"I'm curious too," Aryll chirped as the man running the ride helped her into the little cart/basket thing. I stepped in and sat next to Link, watching carefully as he locked the door. "My teacher told me I am inventive and resourceful!"

"My teacher told me that the probability of me spending time in the dungeons is higher than that of me graduating high school," Link commented. I snickered.

"That may be true."

"I am a rascal."

The ferris wheel lurched into motion, and my stomach lurched with it. Thank Nayru it's a slow rotation, or I'm sure I would have upchucked my lunch and dinner over the side. I looked over my shoulder and marveled at all the people and lights below me, all of the carnival jammed onto one boardwalk. It was a pretty sight to behold. Link leaned over next to me.

"Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Stuff. What are you looking at?"

"You."

I laughed and turned forward to face Aryll again. She was strumming her harp thoughtfully, looking out over the ocean. The strains of Link's ridiculous song ran through my head; _My Zelda lies over the ocean, my Zelda lies over the sea! _I laughed quietly to myself and shoved Link a bit.

"You make me laugh, you know that?"

"I make a lot of people laugh. When I'm fired from the whole dragon-charmer thing, I think I'll become a comedian."

"Good plan," Aryll said as she continued to run her fingers over the strings of the harp.

Suddenly, the cart/basket swung to a slow stop. I screamed.

"What happened? Did it break?" I cried, looking out over the edge. Oh Nayru, it's high up! We're going to die! Link and Aryll were laughing at me.

"They're letting people off, silly!" Aryll giggled.

"You're face was priceless!" Link laughed, doubling over. My face was now crimson, thanks to those two. How was I supposed to know?

"Well now what?" I asked.

"We wait," Aryll replied.

"For what?"

"For it to move again, dummy!"

I crossed my arms and slumped in my seat. They don't have to treat me so meanly! I looked over the edge at all the laughing people. The carousel music drifted up to my ears, and I could smell kettle corn popping. People laughed and talked and enjoyed themselves. I felt Link put a hand on my leg, and I grinned. Happy birthday, Zelda, I thought. And that's when the fireworks went off, crackling and lighting up the night sky with bursts of pink. There's nothing more beautiful than fireworks on an ocean.

* * *

><p>The fireworks still continued that night as I sat on the roof once again with Link. It was like deja vu sitting here with him. He smiled over at me and cleared his throat.<p>

"Well, young lady, the current time is 11:58, so I will now present to you my gift," he said, handing me a sloppily wrapped package. I smiled and took it. Slowly peeling back the layers of paper, my hand came in contact with something smooth. I pulled it up and saw it was a moon shaped charm, the deep blue color of the night sky.

"I figured since we needed to make Insomniac's Club, and I figured that could be our logo. I have one too, see?" he said, holding up his own blue moon. My smile was almost bursting off my face now. "But you should know, the first rule of Insomniac CLub is you don't talk about Insomniac club. The second rule of Insomniac Club is-"

"You don't talk about Insomniac Club! Oh, Link, it's wonderful!" I cried, throwing my arms around his neck. "Thank you so much!" He smiled against my neck.

"No problem, Z. Happy birthday, by the way. It's 11:59."

I'm officially a woman. An adult, a grown up. Still no call from my father, but I disregarded that.

"My first act as a legal adult is to hang this off my necklace," I announced, unclasping my necklace and threading the moon onto the chain. I put it back on and found the moon fit perfectly. Link smiled and looked at his phone again.

"And... Midnight! My first act as a legal adult is to get rid of this damn bandage!" he cried, ripping the bandage off his hand. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, he told me it was a birthmark, but I was shocked at what I saw.

"Hold up your hand," I instructed. He did as told, and I raised my right hand up to join his. The two bore identical triangular marks.

"Weird," Link muttered, grabbing my hand and running his fingers over the triangle. His touch sent shivers up my spine.

"No matter. It's your birthday now, and I have to give you your present," I said with a smirk.

"Goody, I hope it's a puppy!"

"Almsot. First, I'd like to take you out to dinner and smoothies and a walk on the beach, just you and me," I said. My heart was thudding from excitement. Link's eyes lit up.

"Better than a puppy! Thanks Z!" he said. I shook my head and smiled, leaning towards him a bit.

"I'm not done," I whispered. "Happy birthday."

And I closed the gap between us, wrapping my hands around his neck and our lips meeting head on. At first Link was shocked, making a noise of surprise, but I ignored that and deepened the kiss, which he gladly reciprocated. Every inch of my body was tingling with excitement, and I felt energy surging through my entire body. We pulled away for a second, breathing heavily.

"Holy shit," Link breathed.

"You didn't like it?" I asked, rubbing his shoulders. He smirked.

"I never said that."

And he pulled me in again, wrapping his arms around my waist. And there was nothing more beautiful than that moment, him kissing me on a roof under the stars, wrapped in each other's arms. savoring each other's touch. He fell over so that I was flat on top of him. I didn't care. It was beautiful. It was right. It was exactly where I was supposed to be. A shooting star sailed in the distance.

Happy birthday, I thought to myself.

The best birthday ever.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, poor Link. He has nooo idea what's in store for him! And thanks to Sonicpit99 for reminding me that I am my worst critic and that I do tend to be a little harsh on my poor chapters. Thanks for your review, and all other reviews. And I am so pumped right now! I was in math class, busy not paying attention, and I got this awesome idea that I am so excited for! Like my friend said, "Leila, you look crazed!" She's so funny. Anyway, I'm excited :) Tell me what you thought, and thanks for everything guys!<strong>

**~Leila**


	14. Chapter 13

**Whoa, I actually had free time this weekend! And I've discovered the Easter Bunny kind of loses popularity as you grow older. My twelve year old brother and six year old sister came rushing in at a lovely 7 AM and started jumping on my freaking bed, and while they're off hunting eggs and stuff, my older sister and I are just standing there looking like zombies and faking smiles so people will leave us alone. Sigh. Anyway, FINALLY! I can pick stuff up now! I'm excited for this chapter, and I hope you guys like it. It will switch from Zelda and Link's POV.**

**To an anonymous reviewer: I cracked up when you said Shirley Temples were like heaven without the ponies. That is so true.**

**linker723: Thank you, and yes this is all original! And I'm sorry for all my spelling errors, I'm too lazy and don't have time with sports to check stuff over.**

**Zolias: Yes, it will probably be a longer story because I wanted to get all the things set up in the beginning, and the adventure starts now! I hope it doesn't seem too rushed, but hey, you guys tell me!**

**Also thanks to Cerberuswolf, MelissaMachine5000, littlelostdreamer, BlueMonkeyDoll, Lauparisi, Rose Starglen, Cheerio, and Sonicpit99 for all of your nice and helpful reviews! Thanks so much to everyone, and I'll quit my excessive ramblings. This is my longest A/N ever! Okay, story. But I finally finished Skyward Sword, even when my damn shield broke! Death to Demise!**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirteen (Link and Zelda)<p>

(Link)

I sat watching as Aryll braided Zelda's hair, her delicate fingers weaving in and out of the multiple strands. It's been eighteen hours since I kissed Zelda, and I can't help but smile and stare whenever she's around. She's just insanely beautiful, and I can't keep my eyes away from her. She shoots me a smile as she sits on her bed patiently as Aryll braids. I smile back, excited for the evening.

She's taking me for dinner and smoothies, and she is going to get ice cream to bring home so her, Aryll and I can all play cards. We're spending the night tonight and moving into Telma's tomorrow. Aryll and I spent all yesterday packing our few belongings into boxes and carrying them to Zelda's. I kindly pointed out to her how a majority of the boxes were full of her blankets and beanie babies.

But in a more serious sense, my life is looking up now. My life starts now, after being pushed down and caged up for so long, I can live peacefully now not having to worry about how I'll feed Aryll with little money, not worrying about my aunt and uncle, not worrying about hiding bruises. There's just one worry left, but that one I'll just try to forget. If I can. If it's possible to forget what I saw and did.

Zelda stood up and did a little twirl for me.

"How do I look?" she asked. Her hair was partially braided with some still hanging long, and she wore a simple white dress like the one she wore on Hylia's day. I smiled.

"You can't wear that. Boys will look at you. Go put on something unattractive and baggy!" I commanded with a grin. Aryll giggled.

"He tells me that, too. That if I don't uglify myself, I'll become attractive, and that's bad," she said. I nodded my agreement.

"I can't have an attractive sister. That means people will like her more than me," I teased, ruffling her bangs. She rolled her eyes.

"Zelda still likes me more. Hey, speaking of Zelda, I have something for you," she said, climbing down from the bed. I glanced at her curiously. I wasn't aware she had gotten anything for Zelda... This could turn embarrassing real fast. But I was surprised to see her approach Zelda with her own golden harp, holding it out to her like and offering.

"Here, happy birthday," she say, thrusting the instrument at Zelda. Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

"Aryll, I'm not taking your harp," she told her sternly. Aryll shook her head and pressed the harp into her hands.

"Zelda, I want you to have it. It is mine to have, and mine to give away. I'm trusting you can take care of it, I know I can count on you," she said, her blue eyes serious. Zelda opened her mouth, then closed it.

"I can't take this. We'll talk about this when we get back, but Link and I have to go. We have reservations at six-thirty," Zelda said, laying the harp down gently on her bed.

"Ooo, reservations. Must be fancy," I teased. She gave me a look.

"Fancier than Telma's," she shot back.

"Don't degrade Telma's like that ever again. Seriously, that hurt my pride."

Zelda rolled her eyes and looked back at Aryll. "Are you sure you'll be alright here by yourself?"

Aryll nodded, her face straight but her eyes full of a strange, half-sad, half-scared emotion.

"Aryll? You alright, Captain?" I asked softly. She nodded and burst into tears. I ran forward to hug her, and held her tightly like I used to when she was little and fell down. "It's alright. I'm alright, you're alright, we're alright," I whispered. She shook her head and looked up, her teary eyes suddenly fiercely serious.

"Link, I love you so much, you know that?" she said. I nodded, not sure how to respond to this episode. "And I want you to be careful always. Do you remember your promise?" she asked. I nodded.

"Of course. I'll be there to protect you for always and ever," I said, stroking her hair. She took several deep breaths to calm herself and nodded.

"Right. For always and ever. I love you, and have fun on your date," she said, giving me a last tight hug. "And Zelda, watch after him, will you? He's unstable."

Zelda cracked a small smile and nodded. "I will. We'll only be a few hours, so call if you need anything," she said, leaning down to give her a hug. Aryll nodded.

"Goodbye."

Zelda and I walked down the stairs in silence, and she locked her front door before we began walking down the streets, hand in hand. I saw Aryll watching us from the window, and when I turned, she gave a small wave and a single salute. I grinned and saluted her back before turning forwards again. I could feel her eyes on my back all the way down the street.

"I really am getting concerned for her now! Since you've brought that up, I really am! I mean, she-" Zelda silenced me with her finger to my lips, and I responded by trying to bite it.

"Relax, it's your birthday. Let's just go and have a good time, alright? Enjoy yourself of once, and we can worry over Aryll later. You have a big day tomorrow, so let's enjoy this while it's happening," she said, giving my hand a squeeze. I sighed and looked up at the sky.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're right, you always are. Curse your endless intelligence. Hey, where the heck are we going for dinner anyway?" I asked, gazing at the rows of shops and cafes that had popped up as we walked. She smiled and pointed at a nicer looking place I'd always passed but never bothered to pay attention to.

"There. It's a fun place; they have food from all over and different cultures and it's fun to try things. My father and I would have competitions to see who would try the crazier thing," she told me. I smiled and rubbed my hands together.

"That sounds like a challenge to me. And I'm willing to accept that challenge, even if it means digesting a cow's stomach," I said. She grimaced.

"They do not have cow stomachs here."

"They don't, or you've never tried one?" I asked.

"Shut up please."

Only she would add the please. She gave our name to the guy at the door, an the led us to a table with a snow white table cloth and a flickering candle set in the center. I pulled Zelda's chair out for her and let her sit before I did, right across from her.

"When did you become such a gentleman?" she inquired as she smirked at me over her menu.

"Again, the Hero always needs to assist his Princess. It's hero-ly, not gentlemanly."

"It sounds like you made both of those words up."

"I did. Wait, gentlemanly might be a word..."

A snooty looking waiter with an awesome mustache approached our table and glared down at us disdainfully.

"And how are you... children faring tonight?" he asked. Zelda smiled politely while I fought the urge to launch into a long rant about how I am most certainly not a child.

"Well. And yourself?" she asked.

"I've been better," he sniffed, producing a handkerchief and dabbing his forehead before taking out a notepad. Who uses handkerchiefs? "My name is Linebeck. Captain Linebeck, actually, and I'll be your server this evening. Is there anything I can do for you kids right now?"

I grinned at him. "Yes, _Captain_. I want a chocolate milk, in one of those kids cups with a lid and a bendy straw. Also, I don't find the menu satisfactory, so I'd like some nice, sea-creature shaped chicken nuggets with plenty of ketchup to dip in. And I need a napkin because sometimes I spill," I said. Zelda kicked me from under the table.

"Don't mind him, sir. He's... special. Different. However you want to put it. We'll start with a strawberry lemonade with two straws please," she said. I smiled at the two straws part. Linebeck nodded and scrawled something down on a notepad.

"Two straws. Yes, miss. I will return momentarily," he said with a final glare at me. I saluted him as he walked away.

"Thank you, Captain."

Zelda laughed, and I was feeling pretty funny until Linebeck returned with drinks. Not only was there a strawberry lemonade with two straws, but he placed a kid's cup with a bendy straw in from of me, complete with crayons and a piece of paper bearing the outline of a pirate saying "Arr, help color in Captain Crusty!" Zelda's face was red from laughter, mine from embarrassment. I took a sip from the straw and found it full of chocolate milk. It wasn't even good chocolate milk.

* * *

><p>Later that night, I was walking on the moonlit beach, a grape-coconut smoothie in one hand and Zelda's hand in the other. Dinner had actually been good past that point; I discovered that 'escargot' is snails, and that calamari is squid. They just make it sound fancy to trick the idiots like me into ordering it. And Zelda had me try a few bites of Gerudo dishes her father had introduced her to, and they were good. My favorite part was just sitting and talking to Zelda, though. That's all I really needed; time just spent with us alone.<p>

Zelda slurped up the last bits of her strawberry banana smoothie and turned to look at me.

"Did you have a good birthday?" she asked, her face glowing in the moonlight. She sounds like my mom, who after every birthday would tuck me in bed, kiss me and whisper, _Di__d you have a good birthday? _The answer was always yes. No one has asked me that in ten years, and it's an amazing relief to hear those words spoken again.

"Yeah, I did. Thanks so much for everything," I said, squeezing her hand.

"Don't mention it. Thanks for... a lot, actually. Thanks for being my project partner, thanks for introducing me to so many things, thanks for being there," she said with one of her radiant smiles, tossing her empty smoothie cup in a trash can. My cup soon followed hers, and we continued on our walk.

"And you're very welcome. Thank you for being there for me, for looking pretty, and for putting up with me. I'm not always the most..."

"Un-annoying person? Sane?" Zelda suggested. I made a face.

"No, I was going to say inviting. But yes, I suppose those work too."

Zelda smiled and kicked up some of the fine sand. It looked like sugar, like some giant was baking, then tripped and spilled sugar all over the beach. What the heck did he trip on?

"You know, I never thought I'd be taking a romantic beach walk with you on my birthday," I said. She smiled.

"I never thought I'd be kissing you on a roof on mine."

"No, seriously. I always thought you hated me. I thought I was doomed to admire from afar forever. The best moment of my life were those soccer games, or when we were on teams for ghosts in the graveyard. You'd take it all seriously and strategize every move. And you know what, you always won."

"Not hate, just... dislike in the 'boys have cooties' way. I never really hated you. I just never thought of liking you or anyone in that way. I guess when we started the project, I just... realized it. I woke up and faced reality," she told me with a grin. I stopped walking and turned to face her.

"Well I'm glad you did, because I was ready to slap you awake."

"Really? Nice, thanks."

"In the most loving way possible, of course," I said. "I'm just glad I've had you lately. You've helped so much with Aryll and my aunt and uncles, and that means a lot."

"One has to take pity on a poor soul like yours," she teased, leaning forward a bit. "But payment is expected."

She leaned forward more, waiting expectantly. I smiled and leaned forward to meet her lips. A rush of excitement passed through me, and I wrapped my hands around her waist and drew her closer to me. If I could freeze time in any moment, now would be it. Her soft lips pressed on mine, the waves crashing in the background, the silver stars shining above.

We pulled apart and smiled at each other, grabbing hands and beginning the walk home.

"Since we're an official couple and all, I think we need a couple name," I said, grinning at her. She rolled her eyes.

"A what?"

"A couple name! Like... Lelda. Or Zink. Linkda, Zelink, Linka, Zinka, Lelink," I listed as she laughed.

"Zelink has a ring. Or maybe Lelda. What about Zeinka? Lilda?" she suggested, digging her key out of her pocket and sticking it into the lock.

"Zeinka! Sounds exotic. I'm still going for Zelink. What do you think?" I asked as she pushed open the front door. Her house was cold as always, and silent.

"I like Zelink," she replied, sliding her shoes off.

"Zelink it is!" I proclaimed, stepping out of my shoes as well. "Aryll, we're home!" I called. No answer. "Aryll?" Silence. I threw Zelda a look, and we both began to walk up the stairs slowly.

"Hoy, Captain? Ary?" I yelled, dashing up the stairs faster.

My heart was pumping loudly, and I was breathing irregularly. I threw open the door, hoping she would pop out and yell "Gotcha!" There was no blonde girl in sight. Just an empty room and open windows. Breathing heavily, I walked over to the bed where her harp was still laying. The telescope was nowhere to be seen. My breath caught as I saw a note lying across the strings of the harp. It was written in Aryll's precise handwriting, with all the i's dotted with clouds. Not hearts or circles, clouds. With a shaking hand, I picked it up and began reading with Zelda looking over my shoulder, holding the harp.

_Dear Link,_

_Saying goodbye is a hard thing. It's one word, two syllables. But that one word is hard to say, especially to the ones you love. I don't want to leave, it's not by choice, but it's something I have to do. I can't explain now, you wouldn't understand nor am I allowed to, but explanations will come in time. For now, just remember that I love you Link. I love you with all my heart, soul, and being. I will see you again, I promise. Remember your promise to me as well. But for now, I'm alight. You're alright. We're alright. Don't worry for me, and walk down the path destiny has set for you. Take care of Zelda, she's a good girl. Make sure she takes the harp. I'll see you again, and when I do, I'll explain everything. I love you, Link my swabbie. Goodbye._

_Aryll_

My hands shook so violently that the paper was fluttering, waving back and forth. I was breathing hard, and so many things were running circles in my head that I couldn't sort them out. I couldn't tell emotions from thoughts. Zelda placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Link..."

I dashed out of the room an down the stairs.

"Aryll!" I yelled into the night. "ARYLL!"

* * *

><p>(Zelda)<p>

I sprinted after Link, jumping multiple stairs at a time still cradling the harp. I bolted out of the door and saw him standing in the middle of the street.

"Aryll!" he yelled."Aryll! Aryll!" He got nothing but echoes in return. Echoes and the ever-constant sound of waves crashing onto the shore. I wasn't sure how to react. I should have seen it coming, the way she acted tonight... But a girl like Aryll, running away for a cause she won't disclose to her only loved one? Some things aren't predictable, aren't describable. It's like a punch to the stomach, or a bucket of ice water being poured over your head. It's a harsh wake up call.

"Link," I said softly. "You need to come inside. You need to calm down before-"

He sprinted down the street, his face determined and hell-bent on finding his sister.

I chased him to his house, the red door looking ominously like blood in the night. He pounded his fist on the door, his face desperate. His uncle opened the door, cigar hanging from his mouth, and a bored expression on his face.

"What do you want, you little shit? You ain't welcome here no more."

"Where's Aryll? Is she here?" he cried. His uncle rolled his eyes and blew a smoke ring.

"Look, ya little bastard, she ain't here. Like I said, you're not welcome!"

And with that he slammed the door in Link's face, eliminating the last bit of hope he had. or a moment he stood there, silently facing the door. Then he let out a loud yell of rage.

He stormed over to the stone front of his house and slammed his fist against the rock, causing his knuckles to split open and bleed. I winced as the scarlet drops spattered the cobblestones and took a step closer to him. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were wild and full of hurt and anger.

"Shh, Link," I murmured. "Calm down. You need to calm so we can think this all through..."

My right hand, the one with the mark identical to Link's began pulsing gold, flashing more intense and stronger and stronger... My vision went white, and I found myself facing a strange girl of about nine. Her gold hair was in a braid, and her gray eyes were full of love and sympathy. A boy of about fifteen stood next to her, his blonde hair falling into proud blue eyes. They looked so loving, so familiar...

"Zelda," the girl spoke. Her voice rang in my head. _Hurry up, Zellie! You're much too slow!_

"Who- who are you?" I asked, backing away, clutching Aryll's harp. The girl smiled and pointed to herself.

"Sissy," she said as if she were talking to a child.

"Mattie," said the boy. Sissy, Mattie, Zellie... Names and voices echoed through my head.

"You've grown so much, Zellie," Sissy whispered. "I wish I could have been there to watch."

"You have a lot ahead of you, Zel. I know you have the strength to make it through," Mattie told me. A lot ahead of me. A destiny. Goddesses' Eternal plan. Phrases swirled and danced in my head.

"Remember your lullaby, Zelda?" Sissy asked, producing a small harp. "Mother sang it originally, but Matt and I kept the tradition. Remember your song?"

And she began playing a beautiful, melancholy, yet familiar and welcome tune. They sang, their voices echoing all around me, wrapping me up like a blanket.

_Listen to  
>My lullaby<br>__Let this song  
><em>_Wash you away..._

_Close your eyes  
><em>_Goddess of time...  
><em>_Rest your head  
><em>_By mine._

_Dream a place  
><em>_So far away...  
><em>_Forests thick  
><em>_And greeen.  
><em>

_Have no care  
><em>_There's no despair  
>Softly let<br>__Your soul to rest...  
><em>

_Zelda  
>Dear child of mine<br>__Sleep to my lullaby  
><em>_Someday  
>You will face,<br>__Your fate_

_Soon you will  
>Meet destiny<br>Then, my dear  
><em>_This song  
><em>_Keep near..._

_Listen to  
>My lullaby...<br>Goddess of time...  
><em>_Rest your head  
>By mine...<em>

The two children stared at me, their eyes boring into mine.

"We were sent as messengers, Zellie. Me, a spirit, him, a fragment of the past. It's time now," Sissy said.

"You need to face your destiny Zelda. Like it or not, you are Nayru's favored, the Princess of Destiny. You lived a comfy fantasy for a while, but now it's time to wake up. Time to face reality," Mattie said.

Wake up. Face reality. Princess of Destiny. Favored. Reality. Words echoed through the whiteness, and I watched the two figures fade, leaving me alone with a heap, my thought, and my destiny. The Princess of Destiny is me. I, Zelda Fairchild, am the Princess of Destiny.

* * *

><p>(Link)<p>

Zelda's voice drew me to attention, away from my bloody hand, away from my anger. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but her hand flashed gold and she closed her eyes.

"Zelda?" I asked, waving my hand in front of her face. She didn't stir or react. "Zelda?" Oh my Din, is she in a standing coma or something?

She began to play the harp, plucking the same three notes over and over. Muttering words like 'Princess,' 'destiny,' and 'reality.' She showed no sign of waking, an amy anger erupted and I almost threw my fist at the wall again when I heard them.

A trio of heavenly voices.

_Come away little lost, come away to the water. To the ones that are waiting only for you._

I looked around wildly for the source, but found nothing. Something was intoxicating, almost hypnotic about the voices. I wanted to follow them, do what they said...

_Come away little lost, come away to the water. Away from the life you always knew._

I still found no source for the three voices, turning in every direction, every way...

_We are calling to you._

A fourth voice joined. A voice very much so familiar, louder than the other three. Aryll.

"Aryll!" I cried, running in the general direction I though the voices were coming from. I was just running, I don't care where as long as Aryll is there. As long as I can find her.

_Come away little light, come away to the darkness. In the shade of the night we'll come looking for you. Come away little light, come away to the darkness. To the ones appointed to see it through. We are calling for you. We are coming for you._

I ran faster as the voice grew louder. I was getting closer. I turned a corner sharply and found myself facing the sacred Temple of Time. I ran on.

_Come away little lamb, come away to the water. Give yourself so we might live anew. Come away little lamb, come away to the slaughter. To the ones appointed to see this through. We are calling for you. We are coming for you._

I entered the Temple, listening for the voice, listening for Aryll, wanting them to lead me. I walked slowly down the aisle, the candles behind me bursting into flame as I passed them. The colors alternated; red, green, blue, white. Red, green, blue, white. I was closer, I could feel it.

_Come away little lamb, come away to the water. To the arms that are waiting only for you._

I reached the back wall of the Temple, and my hand was throbbing. I touched my marked hand to the wall, and unsurprisingly, it rumbled open. I followed the voices and was vaguely aware of the Temple door opening behind me. I was in a trance now, and nothing could tear me away from my goal.

_Come away little lamb, come away to the slaughter. To the ones appointed to see this through._

I approached a pedestal slowly. The voices were at their loudest, with Aryll out-singing them all. My heart was pounding like a bass, and my hand was throbbing.

A sword was in the pedestal. A powerful looking blade with a winged purple hilt and an orange gem encrusted in its center. The sword itself was calling me, whispering, begging... I put one hand on the hilt.

_We are calling for you._

Two hands on the hilt.

_We are calling for you._

I hesitated slightly, and Zelda ran into the room.

_We are calling for you._

I pulled up, and the sound of metal brushing stone rang through the chamber.

_We are calling for you._

I raised the sword high above my head, breathing heavily, snapping out of my reverie and back into reality. The chamber was silent, and the sword felt right in my hands. This was destiny, I was meant for this, this is crazy, what are you doing... My thoughts were screaming in my head, tuning out the silence, when a voice rang through the chamber. A strong, feminine, voice. A familiar, powerful voice.

_Behold my Chosen. Behold Link Carstairs, wielder of the Master Sword, Hero of Hyrule._

* * *

><p><strong>I've been waiting for this for like, ever! Sorry for possible confusion bad writing, but I like this chapter! Notice how I kept throwing the title in there ;)**

**1. Zelda's Lullaby is courtesy of Wolf Blossom, a talented writer who wrote those lyrics herself as well as lyrics to the Song of Time! Check them out!**

**2. The other song Link was hearing was Come Away to the Water by Maroon 5. That's like my favorite song right now!**

**3. I love Linebeck. Nuff' said.**

**Read, review, favorite! Tell me what you think! Thank you all so so so so (so so so so) much for everything! Thank you thank you!**

**~Leila**


	15. Chapter 14

**Hello again! I'm super duper mega excited for upcoming events in this story! Thanks again to my awesomely awesome reviewers and favoriters! I'm listening to Nicki Minaj's new album... It's pretty interesting. She is pretty interesting. Shout outs!**

**Joseph Kuo: Is that how you spell it? I didn't know that! I meant Gerudo, but I was spelling it Guerdo... Sorry guys, and thanks for pointing that out!**

**Cheerio: I've never heard that song, and I'll have to listen to it now! Thanks for the recommendation, and I wasn't planning on that being his theme song, but I'll listen to the song you suggested for sure! I really love dramatic song interludes.**

**Again, thanks to all who reviewed and I'm glad you guys found the letter emotional! I was struggling a bit with what to put in there, but apparently it was good! Thanks guys!**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>Chapter Fourteen (Aryll)<p>

I ran along the cliff tops, the moon illuminating my path and mingling with Navi's soft blue glow as she flew alongside me. It almost would have been normal if it were not for the horde of demons running behind me.

I turned around, which was a mistake, and saw them running; fangs bared and red eyes blazing, lusting for death. Why couldn't I be at home, tucked away safely, receiving Link and Zelda home from their date?

Link. Just his name gave me a heartache. I crushed his spirit, destroyed his hope. I could feel his reaction as I left, and the thought of him alone crying at night made me want to break down and sob.

A loud howl drew me back to the present and I ran harder than ever, clutching my telescope tightly in my hand. It was slipping in my sweaty grasp, shaking in my unstable hands. My breaths were ragged gasps, and my heart was pounding like a big drum.

"Keep running, Your Grace! We're almost there!" Navi encouraged, sounding winded herself. I nodded, not able to form a reply.

The edge of the cliff came into view, and a new hope surged through me. Safety. I tapped into my final energy reserve and sped towards the edge at lightning speed. Grabbing ahold of my sailcloth, I took a flying leap off the edge, and for a brief second, I was falling and sure I was going to flatten on the beach, but the wind caught the sailcloth and I drifted safely to the sandy beach below. I stopped to catch my breath and looked up at the monsters crowding at the top of the cliff. They couldn't reach me here.

"Excellent job, Aryll! You can rest here, as you know this is your Landing. Nothing can reach you here," Navi told me.

I nodded and made my way to the center of the small beach, eager to be away from the bloodthirsty monsters above us. I remember when I brought Link here and played my harp for him. _Soft the drowsy hours are creeping, hill and dale in slumber sleeping. I, my loved ones watch am keeping, all through the night._ My own voice rang through my head, and I could see Link lying back in the sand, smiling at me proudly, his blue eyes loving and protective.

Navi must have sensed my thoughts or read my face plainly like a book, for she said, "Your Grace. You know you need to let him go and focus on the task at hand. I know how much he meant to you, but the world is at stake here. Focus on the goal."

I nodded and cleared my thoughts like I've done so many times before to stop myself from thinking about Link. "Thank you, Navi. I'm ready, let's get to the first spring before-"

I was cut off by a low, feminine chuckle, and a shadow separated itself from the mass of darkness and stood in front of me.

"Well, well. What do we have here? Are you lost, little girl?" she sneered, placing her hands on her hips. Navi gasped, and I took a few steps back, my eyes wider than saucers.

"How- how can you be in here? Only the Goddess can-"

The girl silenced Navi with a wave of her hand. "My master has power, power greater than that of the Landing. You were foolish to place your trust in it," she hissed, her eyes flashing in the night. Behind me, I was aware of monsters closing in behind me, but I pretended not to notice.

"And who is this great master of yours?" I asked, hoping to get her monologuing so I could slip away. She laughed harshly.

"You want to know who my master is? He's your death, little goddess girl. He's your future, your master, the everything you wish of. It is he who haunts your nightmares and he who will bring you off your high and mighty throne!" she declared. Grinning evilly, she leaned towards me a bit, and I saw a lock of red hair falling out of the cloak's hood. "But it looks like you've stepped off the throne yourself," she whispered. "And now you're all alone, little goddess girl. No one can save you now."

I stared up at her with what I hoped was a defiant yet regal expression and not one of mortal terror. "No one will save me because unlike you mortals, I can save myself!" I spat. And with that, I kicked her in the shin and dashed past her, making a suicide run for the forest. I heard her howl in rage, and the demon pack was stalking me once again.

I ran faster than I've ever run in my life; crashing through brambles and getting whipped in the face with branches. The malicious hisses and growls of the monsters were becoming louder, and I whimpered as I continued my run further into the dark forest.

_Into the woods, it's time to go  
>I hate to leave, I have to though<br>__Into the woods- it's time and so,  
><em>_I must begin my journey._

_The way is clear, the light is good  
><em>_I have no fear, nor no one should  
><em>_The woods are just trees, the trees are just wood  
><em>_I sort of hate to ask it, but do you have a basket?_

The child's ditty rang through my head as I ran. Almost ironic. Navi flew frantically by my side, getting caught in my hair and sputtering as she went.

"Your Grace! What are we going to do?" she cried. I bit my lip and jumped off a small overhang. She didn't know, I didn't know, this was never a good idea, my sisters were right...

"I'm working on it, Navi! Right now the plan is just to survive!" I yelled back. The sounds from the demons were louder now, and I could hear their hisses.

_"Run little goddess, run. Run straight to your death... straight to hell!"_

Tears stung at my eyes and my chest hurt from breathing so heavily. I was tiring and wouldn't make it much farther on my own. Why couldn't Link be here? He'd save me, he'd hold me close and defend me from the horrors of the world. Why did I choose this?

"Link!" I cried in anguish as my pace slowed even more. "Link!"

I ran and ran, feeling faint and dizzy, stumbling through thorns, getting tangled in vines. The noises were getting fainter, I was winning... My foot caught in a root and I crashed to the ground. Instantly, I was surrounded by the pack of demons. Up close, they looked like overgrown, black wolves with razors for teeth and blood red eyes. I whimpered in fear as I gazed into the glowing eyes of my doom.

"Link," I whispered. "Oh, Link."

The wolves were closing in, growling and circling me. Predator and prey. Navi hid herself in my hair, clinging tightly to the blonde strands. I closed my eyes and wished for a miracle... Any miracle...

"Your Grace!" a voice yelled.

My eyes flew open, and the wolves stopped circling, turning to search for the source of the noise. A shape flew out of the darkness and swept me up into the air, away from the wolves. I screamed and clung to the stranger's arm, watching as the lights from the wolves eyes grew fainter and fainter. The stranger landed neatly in a tree, releasing the thick vine they had used to swoop in a rescue me. Navi poked her head out of my hair.

"You, you-" she started. The stranger pulled down her red hood, revealing a long braid and tough looking red eyes. She kneeled before me and crossed her hand in front of her chest.

"Your Grace," she said.

"Rise. Who are you?" I asked the mysterious woman as she stood, her crimson eyes burning into my blue.

"I am Impa."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, Aryll chapter! I like these. They give depth to the story, as my English teacher always says.<strong>

**1. Navi is useless. VERY useless.**

**2. Impa is a badass.**

**3. I give full credit to the musical which the song is from, but major kudos to whoever knows what musical the is! It's one of my favorites, and my sister was in it!**

**I'm done. See y'all.**

**~Leila**


	16. Chapter 15

**Wow, that was long update for me! I was busy with track and being dragged to my sister's dance rehearsals and stuff. Sorry. Also, only two people guessed the musical! It was Into the Woods, which I have loved ever since my sister was in it as Cinderella :) Shout outs:**

**Kindleh: Oh dear. Should I be concerned? Jk, but welcome to Minnesota!**

**barrissandahsokafriendz: You compared me to J.K. Rowling? AH! I must be better than I thought, thanks so so much! Also, I just update randomly, but I try to do so as often as possible.**

**Lauparisi: I can't answer the first question, I'll let you decide who it was using previous context clues, but as for the second question, I considered it deeply, and I decided he might come in later as one of Ganon's minions. Not a for sure though.**

**Link is my poison: Really? Wow, that makes me feel good! If you do publish a fanfic, I'll read it!**

**Thanks to DarkOppressor, Amethyst 269, iamams7, MusicGamer, boredman46, hurricaneclaw, prosavvy5, and ShadowNinja1011 for your reviews and to sym spidey for always private messaging me. Thanks to all other reviewers too, and if I don't mention you up front it does NOT mean I don't deeply appreciate and treasure your reviews! Thanks everyone!**

**~Leila**

**By the way, forgive me if this chapter is a little... sloppy. The emotions in this are strong, this is Link's reaction to being hero, so I'm sorry if it's off or if it didn't seem realistic. Also, sorry for long update!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Fifteen (Link)<p>

I stared at the purple hilt of the sword, watching the way light reflected off of the glowing blade. The silence of the chamber was deafening; the absence of the voices, particularly Aryll's, was prominent and left me feeling hollow and alone inside. My hand was burning stronger than ever, and I looked at it as it gripped the sword. I froze. Suddenly I wanted the bandage back. For the first time ever, I was noticing the uncanny resemblance of my birthmark to the Triforce of legends. It wasn't helping that the marking was pulsating golden light, causing me to cringe away. My breathing grew faster and heavier, my heartbeat grew faster and faster... _Behold Link Carstairs... Hero of Hyrule... _The words slammed into my skull like a sledgehammer. Realization began to kick in...

The sword fell out of my hand and clattered to the floor, the sound ringing through the silence.

I began to feel nauseous and dizzy. I began swaying back and forth, and distantly I heard footsteps and Zelda calling my name as I sank to my knees. Putting my hands against the floor to brace myself, I bit back a scream. Zelda was soon at my side, her hands rubbing my shoulders, saying words of comfort that I couldn't hear. I am the Hero. I am the Hero. All those times I was playing with Aryll, teasing Zelda, joking with Sheik... _I'll be the Hero, and you'll be the fair Princess, Aryll! Does her Highness require my hero-ly services? My dear Sheikah, we both know I'm the Hero in our hearts. What else would explain my hotness and overall aura of hero-ness? _My own words rang through my head, coming back to sting me. The way Sheik laughed, how Zelda rolled her eyes, and the bizarre way Aryll would look at me as if she knew something I didn't. She knew. She had to have known. Just thinking about her made my eyes sting with tears for the first time in ten years. I refused to let them fall, but one fell anyway, splashing on the violet hilt of the sword in front of me.

"I see you've come to realize who you are," a voice said behind me. Zelda turned to look at who was talking, but I remained crouched on the floor, never tearing my gaze away from the glowing insignia on my left hand. Zelda's hand left my shoulder, but as it did, a new hand replaced it, this one bigger than her own delicate hand.

"Child, look up at me," the gentle voice commanded. I did as instructed, my eyes slowly meeting the gaze of the stranger's. It was an old man with a grizzled white beard and unnaturally blue eyes. They were sympathetic, but at the same time full of ancient wisdom beyond my years. I bit my lip and struggled to hold eye contact.

"I know this is a lot to take in," the man said softly, "But you have been destined to play this role since before you were born. I understand how hard this must be-"

"You _understand_?" my voice echoed through the stone room, sounding harsh and cold. "You're saying you _understand _what I'm going through right now?"

The man blinked, taken aback. Clearly it never crossed his mind that I would react in an angry way. What did he expect me to do? Be proud? Prance around in happiness? Rejoice about the fact that I'm going to be forced into hell without my consent? Because I know the goddesses wouldn't send a Hero without a catch. Something is wrong and I'm going to be the one forced to fix it.

"You say you understand. But you have _no idea_ what I'm thinking right now," I hissed, glaring up at the man menacingly, causing him to take a step back.

"Young man, you have no idea what I have experienced or what I have seen. I met the Hero himself when he found out he was the Hero. My uncle Gaepora told me stories of a Hero before the one we always hear of, and they didn't react nearly as viciously or lash out," the man told me.

"Well, I'm not them! And were you feeling what they were feeling, were you thinking their thoughts? No, you weren't, so you really don't have any damned idea what it's like to be all of a sudden told 'Hey, guess what? You're the Hero!'"

"You are them. You are exactly like them in every way possible. You are the Hero," he said simply.

"So I was never my own person? I'm just a reincarnation of the first son-of-a-bitch who paraded around to save Hyrule? Fantastic!" I cried, throwing my hands up. "And those other Heroes couldn't be mad! They had motivation, they had to save the Princess of Destiny! And if I'm correct, my Princess is standing right there," I yelled, gesturing at Zelda. I really, deeply and truly hoped she would shake her head, or laugh and say 'You gullible idiot,' or something, but I wasn't surprised when she nodded solemnly.

"True, the Princess of Destiny is with you, but you do have motivation."

"And what, pray tell, would that be, old man?"

"Your sister."

My heart stopped dead in my chest. Rage was surging through my veins, and I was close to exploding, but I managed not to leap on the bastard and throttle him.

"_What_?"

"Your sister," he repeated. "She came through here not too long ago."

"She did? Where'd she go? What is she doing? Why am I the Hero? Why does she know? Why did she come here?" questions flowed out of me like a raging river; they just kept coming and coming.

"Good things come to those who wait. Stand up and talk to me like a man, and I'll get to your questions," he replied. I scowled and slowly pulled myself to my feet, leaving the sword on the ground. The teardrop still shone on the hilt.

"I'll start from the beginning. As you know, the original Hero defeated the Dark King and sealed him away with the power of the Sages. The body of the Dark King has long since decayed into nothing, however, the spirit lived on. His spirit remained locked away, bound by the power of the Hero's blade and the six Sages. The spirit had time to grow stronger and plot revenge on the goddesses, and it soon grew to the point where the seal could no longer contain him. The Dark King broke free once again and was released into the world."

"What does that have to do with us?" I demanded. He silenced me with a look.

"The release of the Dark King's spirit has been very recent. It happened only one hundred years ago or so," he continued.

"Only a hundred years? A blink of an eye for you, eh, Grandpa?" Unfortunately, he ignored my comment and all I got for my brilliant piece of sarcasm was a glare from Zelda.

"For a long time, I was not aware of the release of his spirit, but twenty years ago, I began to feel a dark presence settling over Hyrule. My suspicions were confirmed when the goddesses themselves came to tell me they feared that Hyrule and the Triforce were once again in danger. They told me this as I am the last living original Sage. The goddesses set two plans into motion; you two, and your sister. I am not allowed to disclose your sister's mission to you at this time, she wished to tell you herself. The two of you, however, were hand-selected by the goddesses to become the Hero and the Princess reincarnate. Look at your hands," he instructed.

Zelda and I did as told, looking at the glowing marks we had always assumed to be birthmarks. How did I not see this when we saw they matched last night? That should have been the dead give-away.

"You bear the mark of the Triforce. The power from the Triforce is channeled into your bodies, the way water is channeled through a pipe."

"So you're saying we don't bear the actual pieces of the blessed power?" Zelda asked, looking at her hand. The old man nodded.

"Correct. The Triforce is sealed safely away, you two just have full control of its power. The Dark King would have chosen the host bearing the piece of Power."

"Why didn't the goddesses just not give Power to anyone?" I asked. "Didn't they know it would go bad?"

"That's just the issue. If they wanted to distribute the two pieces to you children, they had to give out the third piece. If one piece is out, all three have to be out. The Dark King was fated to come back regardless, and the only thing they could do was give pieces to the two of you and hope you succeed in stopping him. Anyway, the Dark King's ultimate goal is to obtain the full Triforce and rule the heavens and earth. The only way he can enter the Triforce realm is to have all three Chosen, a goddess, and the pieces of key kept by the six Sages. And the only way he could get the pieces away from you is to kill you."

My heart was thudding in my chest. I'm being hunted. This is a succeed or fail job. There is no start over, no redoes; it's a one shot.

"How can he have a goddess? Aren't they up, you know, where the goddesses are?" I asked, gesturing wildly up at the sky.

"That is not for me to tell. The goddesses have their plans, and when they wish for you to know, then you will know. Right now, you have to work with what you do know. The two of you must protect the Triforce realm at all costs. The Hero must defeat the Dark King. That is your destiny. Now, I don't expect you two to wander Hyrule aimlessly and run headfirst into a battle. Your best course of action now is to follow your sister. Escort her safely to the Triforce realm. If she makes it there, we win. There will be no need for you to play Hero, and the Dark King will be obliterated. That's _if _you can get her there," he told us.

"Sounds easy enough. And I'll get to see Aryll, right?" I asked.

"If you manage to catch up to her. And it is not as easy as you think it is. The Dark King has had one hundred years to gather followers and build an army. He's planned out his every move over the last century. You just found out mere minutes ago who you are and what you are destined to do. Never underestimate an opponent, Link Carstairs. When you do, you are guaranteeing yourself a death sentence. Always assume the worst. What if your sister has already been captured now? Then it is up to you to rise to the challenge and save her. You have a long, hard journey before you. You'll learn lessons and gain scars. But as you journey, remember this. The fate of the world lies within your hands. If you fall, the world falls with you."

_If you fall, the world falls with you._ His words gave me chills. I could already feel the weight of my destiny pressing down on my shoulders, adding to the already heavy burden I have to carry. But this is crazy! How am I expected to do this? Why should I do this? I looked the old man straight in his eyes, trying to make my own eyes as piercing as I could.

"What if I don't want to? What makes you so sure that I'll just agree and go along with all of this?" I asked. He smiled sadly at me.

"I have no logical or scientific means to convince you, nor do I have any means to force you to. All I can say is that you will come around. A true Hero rises to his challenge. The world depends on this decision. Your sister depends on this decision right now. It's just up to you to decide."

I felt their eyes on me; his expectant and waiting, Zelda's sympathetic and nervous. I clenched my hands into fists and looked at my Triforce hand. I made myself think about tapping into an energy source, like a faucet, the old man had said. It was like walking through a long dark tunnel... When suddenly a golden light blinded me. The light surged through the tunnel, like water through a pipe, and suddenly I could felt power, confidence and energy rush through me. I was glowing gold; every part of my body illuminated with the blessed light. The man was nodding, and Zelda looked shocked.

I could turn around. I could go home and turn my back on all of this. But even if I did, the man said the Dark King needed me to obtain the full Triforce. Either I'll be dragged kicking and screaming into my destiny, or I can make the choice to step in it willingly right now. I unclenched my fist and the glow faded. I looked up at the man and nodded once.

"Fine. I'm in it for Aryll. And the way I'm seeing it, I don't have much of a choice anyway."

A smile, a real smile, spread across the man's face. "Said like a true Hero."

"Cut the mushy stuff, Grandpa. Let's get down to business. Where's Aryll going?" I demanded.

"In due time, my boy. I need to give you a few things first," he said. "Both of you, follow me." He led us through a secret passage in the back of the chamber. I assumed this was where the old guy lived, but I could be wrong. He might have a nice, upscale condo over in Termina. We arrived at a faded brown door, and he held up a hand for us to stop.

"Wait here," he instructed. And with that he disappeared through the door, leaving us alone in the dingy old hall. Zelda turned to me.

"How are you doing?" she asked, her blue eyes full of concern. I shrugged.

"Alright. I'm just trying to figure out how it's possible to go from walking on the beach to all of this in just an hour," I said. She smiled and took my Triforce hand in hers. The two triangles shimmered in response to the contact.

"You know, I think that deep in my heart, I knew this was going to happen. It's like what I was living was a dream, and I just woke up. Call me crazy, but this feels... right," she said, fingering Aryll's harp thoughtfully.

"Maybe it was a dream, but I wasn't woken up as gently as you were. Someone might have been shaking you gently and whispering your name, but I feel like someone dropped me into a scalding hot pool full of Link-eating sharks and screamed, 'HEY! YOU'RE THE HERO!' It's not really the way I would have chosen to wake up, but I guess it works just as well."

Zelda laughed, and for a brief second I felt normal again, but unfortunately Grandpa chose that time to reappear and I felt all weird and empty again. He was holding a variety of items, none of which really caught my eye.

"First, a shield. You won't get very far without a shield," he told me, handing me the sturdy-looking piece of metal. It was blue with a wing-shaped marking surrounding a Triforce. I slid my arms through the straps and held it up in front of my face experimentally.

"The Goddess Shield. It never breaks, never burns, and is immune to all electric and magic attacks. It was given to my uncle by the first Hero, given to me by my uncle, and I gave it to the second Hero. It was returned to me after the Hero's quest, and I am now passing it to you."

The thought never occurred to me that the shield is metal and metal is a conductor of electricity. This solves a LOT of my issues now.

"So I could like, stick this in a socket and I'd be alright? Or I could put it in a toaster? Hey, I want to try that," I said, looking down at the shield. Zelda smacked her forehead. The old guy ignored me and proceeded to hand me a pile of clothes.

"These are the Hero's clothes. They have been passed down through both generations of Heroes. At one time, all the knights in Hyrule wore an outfit similar to this, but the tradition faded. When you wear these clothes, you are bearing the mark of the Hero. Be proud to don these garments, Link. Only the Hero can wear them," he told me gravely.

"Aren't I basically flashing a neon sign that says 'Hey I'm the Hero, come get me?' Shouldn't I wear something more stealthy?" I asked. The man glared at me. Zelda snickered.

"I'd appreciate if you would stop making snarky comments on everything I say."

"It's part of the adjusting process," I told him as I examined the outfit. I found a layer of chain mail, an undershirt, a pair of old boots, and... "Are these _leggings? _Or _tights_? Was the Hero _gay_? I'm not wearing this! This would destroy all my man pride! And let me guess, this green thing is a tunic, not a minidress. It still looks like a minidress."

"They are pants! The Hero was most certainly not gay, and that is a tunic! You will be wearing that outfit no matter what!" the man yelled. I shrugged.

"It's a dress and tights. He probably was gay, he just never came out of the closet. I like this hat, though," I said, plunking the long green thing I assumed was a hat on my head. Zelda burst out laughing and the man cracked a smile.

"The hat certainly does complete the outfit. As for you, young lady," he said, turning to Zelda. "I see you have the harp already. That's good. This is for you."

He handed her a sheathed dagger. The hilt was thin and silver, and when she removed the blade from the sheath, it was clear, not silver. She poked the tip and jerked her finger back, a spot of crimson blossoming from her fingertip.

"That was the Princess's own dagger. The blade is made from diamond, the hardest substance in the world and I'd argue the sharpest. When thrown in the sunlight, the clear blade appears to be practically invisible and won't be spotted," he told her. She nodded and sheathed the dagger once more, careful not to touch the blade.

"Where's my cool weapon?" I whined.

"You threw your weapon on the ground, I might remind you," the man said, looking at me once more.

"I didn't throw it, I dropped it in shock. There's a difference. And I get the Master Sword? Really?" I asked.

"Can you handle the sharp object?" Zelda teased. I made a face at her. She's not helping.

"Yes, you really get the Master Sword. It's a perk of being the Hero. Now, before you get the sword, you need to get dressed. There's a room to your left," he told me, pointing to another door.

I nodded and begrudgingly entered to change into the tight outfit. I'm going to look like a freaking green bean! I pulled off my shirt and jeans and replaced them with the undershirt, the chain mail, the tunic, and the... man-leggings. I pulled the boots on last and adjusted the gauntlets around my wrists. I turned to look for a mirror and almost dropped dead when I saw my reflection. It wasn't Link staring back at me through the mirror, it was a Hero. Someone I wouldn't want to mess with. I backed away from the stranger in the mirror and fumbled for the doorknob. I wanted out.

Back in the hallway, the old man was waiting for me along with Zelda who was now clothed in a tight blue suit with a red eye staring out at me from the white chest. Her arms were wrapped in bandages, and her hair was braided down her back leaving her bangs to hang in her face. The dagger sheath was tied at her hip, reminding me the seriousness of what we were getting ourselves into.

"That's a good look for you," Zelda commented as I shut the door behind me. I glared at her darkly. "No, really," she assured me. "Green is definitely your color."

"Shut up. Not all of us can be as stylish as you," I snapped. The old man cleared his throat.

"If you'll allow me to take you back to the Sanctuary, I can send you off on your quest," he told us.

My quest to find Aryll. It's all about Aryll, the saving the world thing is only my second or third priority. I just need to see Aryll. I nodded and followed him through the halls again. He bent over to retrieve the fallen Master Sword and slid it into the sheath he had been carrying.

"This is your final choice, Link. You take up this sword, and there's no going back. This is the deal-sealer. Choose wisely," he told me seriously, holding the sheath out to me. I reached for the sword, but stopped. Is this what I want? Is this the path I'm choosing? Link Carstairs, Hero of Hyrule. Is that me? Is it really- I grabbed the sword, gripping it tightly. The man nodded.

"Very good. You've made your choice."

I nodded, not saying a word as I strapped the sword onto my back. If only I could see my reflection now. I wouldn't see me. I'd see the Hero.

"Your sister is traveling to the four Light Spirit springs scattered throughout Hyrule. She needs to purify herself in each as well as collect something from each. She's traveling to Lanayru Spring first, over by Lake Hylia. I don't know exactly where it is, but I can give you this," he said, handing Zelda a rolled up piece of parchment. "It is a map of the whole land. I circled the spot where I believe Lanayru is. Journey there as swiftly and as safely as you can. I wish you both luck."

"Thank you so much..."

"Rauru, my name is Rauru."

"Thank you, Rauru," Zelda said. "You have been very kind to us."

I snorted and Zelda glared at me. "So we just leave?" I asked. "This Hero business suddenly begins now?"

"It begins when you want it to begin. It could have began when you drew that sword, it could begin when you battle the Dark King himself. That part is up to you. All I can do is wish you good luck and pray that the goddesses see you safely on your way," Rauru told me quietly. I nodded slowly and turned towards the temple entrance.

"Right. Well, uh, thanks," I stuttered.

"No, thank you. You have a lot of courage. You've carried on after all you've seen in your life, and you're stepping willingly into this mess for your sister's sake. Thank you, Link."

I looked at Zelda. "Ready?"

"Ready."

We walked down the aisle of lit candles leaving Rauru behind us. I paused at the heavy wooden doors of the temple. Zelda glanced at me curiously, but I didn't look up. I kept my gaze locked on my left hand, my Triforce hand. I could feel it now, pulsing steadily beneath my leather gauntlet. It was like it was trying to tell me something, trying to assure me that it will be okay. This is all crazy madness, half of it is a fairytale, yet here I am wearing the Hero's clothes, wielding the Hero's sword, beholding the Hero's power. I am the Hero whether I like it or not, and I'm going to have to suck it up and swallow whatever emotions I may feel. I should be used to that, I should be an expert. But this is different. This is a different feeling, one entirely new to me. I turned to look at Rauru one last time. He nodded once, slowly. I turned back to the door, looked once at Zelda, then pushed it open. I am the Hero starting now.

Ready or not, here I come.

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><p><strong>You know, I'm actually alright with this chapter. I think I managed to capture the emotion right... Maybe... Oh well. Thanks for waiting patiently.<strong>

**1. I know that diamond is the hardest substance on the Mohs scale, not the actual hardest substance. Let's just pretend, okay? I'm fully aware a diamond dagger would shatter on contact with a normal blade, but it's Fan Fiction- where imagination rules.**

**2. The two other Heroes referred to in this chapter are the SS Link and the OoT Link.**

**I think I'm done! Sorry if this was weird or confusing to anyone. If you have any questions, just ask and I'll answer if I can! I don't want to give away too much of the plot, though. Anyway, read, review, favorite, etc. Thanks guys!**

**~Leila**

**And some reading material while you're waiting: _She Can Move_ by Miss Ashlynn is awesome, and _Altering Time_ by MsBBSue is good.**


	17. Chapter 16

**I'm very sorry for the long update. I have no excuse except for I am lazy and writer's block. I found Zelda's Lullaby music for clarinet :) I've been playing it all week! It's so easy, too. I like my clarinet. And I've been seeing a lot of Safe and Sound fanfics popping up, and I'm like "I had that in mine first!" I feel like a trendsetter. Not really. Anyway... OH MY GOSHNESS! I GOT 200 REVIEWS! I am like freeing out! You guys are all sososososososo awesome! Thanks to prien12, my 200th reviewer! Ah, you all are so awesome!**

**Kamil the Awesome- You're important! I thought I bored you and you stopped reading... Thanks for reviewing anyway :)**

**And also thanks to ShadowNinja1011, boredman46, DarkOppressor, pyrosavvy5, Sheikagal, star, BehindBlueEyes988, liveoutloud120, nine-taileddemonfox1597, BlueMonkeyDoll, Captain Germany, littlelostdreamer, Misty, Lauparisi and airbender552 for your reviews!**

**Things should get mildly fun in this chapter! And if you all have suggestions for the plot or some things that happen, let me know! I have the plot mapped out, but I'm completely open for suggestions. Like sym spidey suggested I use the Goddess Shield from Skyward Sword. Little stuff like that helps :) Thanks!**

**~Leila**

**And to anyone that didn't figure it out, Zelda wears Sheik's clothing from Ocarina of Time, minus the mask. I fully believe that Zelda and Sheik are the same person in that game and that if Link is paired with Sheik, it is a girl/boy pairing, but in this game they are two separate characters. Thank you, and thank you for thanking the people that thank you. Thank you.**

**Also, in this whole messed up AU world of mine, Zoras have hair. It bothers me how they are bald. Thank you again...**

* * *

><p>Chapter Sixteen (Zelda)<p>

I took several deep breaths, in and out, before unrolling the tattered sheet of parchment Rauru had given us. Link didn't look over to see the map, his eyes were transfixed on the waves, his thoughts somewhere distant.

He took the whole enterprise a lot harder than I did, choosing to fight instead of accept. I expected him to fight, but not as hard as he did. But I suppose that will make him a good Hero in the future.

_If he even needs to play Hero_, I reminded myself.

If we get Aryll to the Triforce Realm, there will be no need for a fight. Though I've accepted that I am the Princess of Destiny, I am still cautious of him being the Hero. I think he pretends to accept it, knowing it was always foretold that once again two children would be Chosen as Heroes, but I know he's still struggling internally. I hope there isn't a need for him to go off into battle, I don't want to see him hurt, or worse. He's often too rash and over-confident, and lately he's tended to be a little emotionally unstable. Seeing his expression now, lost and vulnerable, only reinforces my worrying.

"So, Link. Lanayru Spring should be through Faron Woods, around Lake Hylia," I said, my voice sounding unnaturally loud in the quiet night. Link snapped back to the present and turned to look at me, his expression melting back into the tough mask he usually wears.

"Do we have supplies? Like food and stuff?" he asked. I nodded, shifting the backpack Rauru had given me as we were leaving.

"All here. The only thing left to do is leave."

He turned back to the ocean. Somewhere in the distance, a seagull cried. I could tell he was thinking of Aryll. All while Rauru was talking to him, his sister was on his mind. That's the only reason he's doing this. He wants to see Aryll.

"Then what are we waiting for," he forced a smile. "Let's go."

He began walking down the path, towards the beaches and rocky cliffs. I trailed behind him slowly, trying to decipher his strange moods.

I heard a noise behind me, and I turned quickly. The priestesses processed silently from within the temple, their hoods drawn back to reveal their faces. Each of them resembled an angel; perfect, soft features, an indescribable beauty, yet their eyes were so piercing and wise beyond their years. They gathered outside the Temple of Time, and watched us as we departed. Slowly, each of them raised their fingers to their lips and pushed their hands out towards us, their way of wishing us a safe journey. Link hadn't turned and didn't see, but I did. I returned the gesture, and the head priestess nodded in approval. Then slowly and silently, like spirits, they retreated back into the depths of the Temple, gone as quickly as the had come.

_Goodbye_, I thought as we reached the beach. _Goodbye Castle Town, goodbye Papa, goodbye Midna, goodbye gymnastics. Goodbye._

Link hoisted himself up onto the top of a rocky cliff and offered his hand to me, but I refused it and pulled myself up. Despite the tight appearance of my new outfit, I found it extremely comfortable and easy to move in.

I pulled out the map again and examined it. This time, Link leaned over my shoulder. I fingered a route that took us along the cliffs, over a small beach then through the woods, straight to Lake Hylia. It would only take the night to travel, depending on whether or not we chose to sleep, but the likelihood of that is close to nothing. I could feel the moon pendant around my neck. Insomniacs unite.

"Alright, let's go. I know how to get there," Link said suddenly, turning away from the map and walking along the cliff's edge. I smiled sadly at his back and followed, tucking the map away as I did.

"Link."

He didn't turn or nod or do anything to acknowledge I had spoken to him.

"Link."

"What?" he snapped, whirling around to face me. I stood in front of him and reached up to brush some hair out of his eyes. He was scared, angry, confused... I could read it all in his eyes the way one would read a book.

"You're alright. I'm alright. Aryll is alright. There is nothing to worry about, nothing to fear. No matter what happens, you have to be strong. You can't lose heart, and you certainly can't give me the cold shoulder," I whispered to him, twisting a lock of his hair around my finger. "I get lonely."

He cracked the barest trace of a smile, barely a sliver compared to his usual sly grins.

"I thought you were going to launch into a dramatic speech right there. But really all you wanted to say was you needed someone to talk to?"

I laughed quietly and nodded, taking his hand as we began to walk again. "I'm supposed to be the anti-social one, not you. Keep it that way."

"I thought I was annoying when I talked."

"Just most of the time."

"Glad to know I'm bearable sometimes."

"It's a good thing to know," I agreed.

Below us, the waves crashed upon the pointed rocks. Thousands of years ago, they were a different shape. A thousand years from now they will be a different shape. My father often talked about the strength of the wind and water; both having the power to shape the land and take down entire mountains. _Something we can't see or touch, my princess. Wind. It can wear mountains down to dust. And water, the least threatening substance possible, can shape our landscape as it sees fit. How they do these things, we may never know. But it is power, a strong power, and a power to be respected. _His words echoed in my mind and I felt a pang in my chest.

My father.

What happens if my father gets home and I'm gone? That would break his heart. Even if I am home when he is back, I'm the Princess of Destiny. Things can't just go back to normal, can they?

We arrived at a steep drop-off that led to a small beach. Link wasted no time in beginning his climb down, but I remained where I was at the cliff's edge, frowning at the shore below.

Something was familiar about the isolated piece of beach.

Something that floated in the back of my mind but I couldn't quite grasp. I began my slow descent down the cliff, clinging for dear life on the rocks and suddenly feeling an intense fear that I couldn't find a reason for. Sure, I'm high up, but it's no higher than a house roof. This is just different. My feet finally found the soft sand of the beach and I felt instantly relieved, but I couldn't shake the feeling of deja-vu.

"Come on, Zelda! Hurry up!" Link yelled.

_Come on, Zellie! Hurry up!_

"Seriously, you're so slow!"

_Honestly, you're so slow!_

I caught a fleeting image of Sissy with an arrow protruding from her back, pouring rain, the gleam of lightning off a dagger... What are these strange images? I shook my head. They're dreams, probably some nightmare I've had at some point in my life. I caught up to Link, who was wearing a scowl and had his arms crossed impatiently.

"If it takes you that long to climb down a rock wall, we're going to have major issues, Princess," he snapped. I glared at him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Important Hero. Not all of us can be as courageous and strong as you. I profusely apologize for being such a burden!"

"Who the hell uses the word profusely?" he muttered to himself as he continued walking.

"I do, because I'm the nerdy holder of Wisdom who's only good for spewing vocabulary words! Allow me to be your walking encyclopedia, Hero!" I spat.

"Well, excuse me Princess! In that case, please do explain to me the laws of gravity, the Pythagorean theorem, and a detailed history of-" he froze, silencing instantly.

Shards of wood surrounded by broken glass lay on the sand ahead. The wood was painted red, and on the biggest piece you could see tiny white seagulls painted on the surface.

My heart nearly stopped, and I heard Link take in a sharp breath. Dashing forward, he knelt by the wreckage. He picked up the piece with the seagulls, his eyes scanning the wood. They finally rested on a place directly beneath the seagulls. A signature was painted in a very thin brush under the birds; a name in fine, neat cursive. _Amalthea Carstairs. _Underneath that name, written in slightly bigger and sloppier letters with white paint was _Aryll Carstairs._

He fingered her name lightly, his face unreadable as he did so. Then he stood, tucking the fragment of the telescope into the pouch he had been given as he did so. His face was straight and serious; his eyes were dangerous, flashing in the moon.

"Let's go." It wasn't an invitation or even a statement, it was a command.

"Link, I... She..."

"I said let's go! We're wasting time."

I lapsed into silence and obediently followed behind him. Something obviously happened; she wouldn't just drop it and leave it. It doesn't necessarily mean she's been kidnapped, she might have dropped it and been forced to run away. She could have dropped it off the cliffs, or something could have stepped on it. Either way, it means something is following her, and we're losing the race to get to her.

We neared the center of the beach, and the Triforce on my hand began to pulse softly. Link's did too. There must be something different about the area; the power of the Triforce senses something. I frowned, hoping it wasn't the Dark King. Suddenly, I saw the beach filled with silver fireflies and the rocks glowing with greenish designs.

_It's a Landing, Zellie, _the familiar voice sang in my head.

I blinked and I was seeing normally again. No silver lights or luminescent rocks. Perhaps odd visions and apparent flashbacks are all a part of being the Princess of Destiny. Or maybe I'm just going crazy. When I start hearing voices that talk to me in my head, then I'll know for sure. A Landing... This strip of beach? I couldn't quite picture one of the majestic Four lounging on the beach getting a tan. I could see Aryll coming here, though. With her harp and telescope, playing songs to the wind and scanning the horizons beyond.

The dark expanses of Faron Woods came into view; trees looming over us and casting giant shadows in the night. An owl hooted off in the distance, and I thought I heard a wolf's solemn call. On normal circumstances, I wouldn't be scared of the woods. It's just a collection of trees. But tonight, it's not the woods, but what could be waiting _inside_ the woods.

The Hero and Princess encountered demons and monsters and Din knows what else in the legend, so what does that say for us? What's crouching in the shadows, waiting for us to pass by for it to spring? Faron Woods have always been said to be haunted at night... People hear strange noises, or see lights... Some say there are even monsters... I shivered in the night and fingered the hilt of my new dagger. I hope I don't have to use it.

"People say there's monsters in the forests. Ghosts, even. They come out at night and roam the woods, searching for people foolish enough to walk in the woods at night, then they're taken and never seen again..." I trailed off, realizing my attempt to lighten the mood had the exact opposite effect. I was now even more terrified.

"I'm not afraid of no ghosts," Link said.

"Double negative."

He ignored that. "They can come after us all they want; I want an opportunity to use my sword and my newly acquired desires for revenge. I want to disembowel something."

"...Pleasant. But you don't think there's anything in here... Do you?" I asked, stepping closer to him. He linked his arm in mine, and I felt ten times safer.

"Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. I just wish we had a light so we could see if something was leaping at us to kill us," he said, squinting in the pitch black forest. Moonlight could only shine down in patches through the thick canopy of leaves and branches above.

"Maybe Rauru put a flashlight or something in our bag. I'll check," I said, sliding the backpack as I did so.

"If we're lucky, the old man was smart enough to assume that-" Link's sentence was cut off by a low growl. My hand froze on the zipper and I went rigid. I could hear my own heart thudding in my chest. Another growl sounded behind us. I stifled a squeal and clung tightly to Link's arm.

_"Well, well. What do we have here?" _came a low, raspy voice.

_"Two Hylians wondering alone into the forest at night? Far away from any help, armed but unexperienced..."_

_"Hylian blood tastes the sweetest, said to be blessed by the goddesses themselves..."_

_"Foolish, wandering into the woods at night. We're supposed to be with the others, but I'm sure Master won't mind..."_

Link had his sword drawn and his shield raised, clumsily trying to balance the two. I had my hand on my dagger and for the first time realized that I had no means of defense. If they got too close, I was screwed.

It was silent for a moment, and my terror was growing by the second. What happened? Where were the bloodthirsty hellhounds?

I almost let my hand off my dagger, when suddenly a shape leapt out at Link with a loud bark. I screamed, and Link threw his shield up and deflected the demon off of it. In the moonlight, the creature resembled an overgrown wolf with glowing red eyes and what looked like thousands of teeth bared into a snarl.

Link was suddenly in a defensive stance; poised on his toes, legs spread apart, shield up. It almost looked natural, like he had been doing it forever. The creature jumped at him again but once again was knocked off by the shield.

I was so caught up in watching the brawl that I almost didn't hear the low growling behind me. I spun around and instantly kicked out, my foot coming in contact with the second wolf's face. It yelped and staggered back, but the pain in its red eyes quickly turned to blazing fury. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and I whipped out the dagger quickly, holding it out in front of me.

We circled each other for a moment, then the wolf leapt at me. I jumped to the side, but not quick enough. The wolf's claws raked my arm and I cried out as a sharp, stinging pain shot through my arm. It laughed a deep, dark laugh as it circled me again. I hissed and held out the dagger again, ignoring the throbbing in my arm and the warm stickiness I now felt there.

I had an idea, but it required timing. If I was too late, it would hit me straight on. Too early, it would give away what I was doing and it would still hit me. It needed to be perfect. I watched the creature carefully as we circled, watching its every move. It tensed all over and reared back a little, preparing to pounce. I gripped my dagger in my sweaty hands and felt my mouth go cotton dry. I can do this.

The wolf flung itself up at me, it's razor sharp teeth flashing in the moon and its claws already stained with my blood. I closed my eyes and thrust the dagger forward, feeling it come in contact with the wolf's furry chest. The demon yelped and whimpered, then went silent. I opened my eyes and pulled my now bloodied dagger out of the hideous creature's chest.

Oh my goddesses. I just killed something. I, Zelda Farichild, girl who picks worms off the sidewalk and puts them in the grass so birds won't eat them, just killed something. Sure, it was a bloodthirsty monster who wanted to tear me apart and lap up my blood, but that... Actually, I feel pretty badass. I looked over at Link, who was pulling the Master Sword out of the wolf's fallen carcass and smiled.

"Holy shit," he said with a cockeyed grin. "That was actually pretty cool. Not the killing and gross part, the I just wielded a sword like a badass and totally owned that thing part!"

"I though I was going to die," I admitted, wiping the dark blood off the once pure blade on the grass.

"Not when I looked over. When I looked over you were going all Chuck Norris on that thing and totally roundhouse kicked it in the muzzle! And- whoa, are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to gently touch my arm. I winced at his touch, but nodded.

"It's just a scratch."

"A scratch that soaked through your clothes! Here, I bet the backpack has bandages. Give it to me," he said, kneeling down to root through the bag's contents. I sighed and nodded, breathing slowly in an attempt to slow my heart rate down.

I now see why the Princess just goes and gets kidnapped and makes the Hero do all the work. I mean, that's not true in the legend, but it is in most fairytales. Then again, all of those princesses are total dumb-blonde ditzes who's main concern is matching their shoes with their dress. Honestly, who gives a shit? If I were a real princess, I'd be wearing freaking Nikes underneath my ball gown, okay? No one actually looks at their shoes, and glass slippers must _kill_ your feet. And if they broke, you'd be dancing all over that broken glass.

"Okay, he was smart enough to give us a First Aid kit. There's antiseptic and gauze and two rolls of bandages and stuff," Link said, zipping up the backpack. "Roll up you're sleeve, and I'll-"

"Link watch out!" I screamed, watching in horror a a third wolf jumped out of the shadows. It must have been hiding and waiting to strike. Link whirled around, but he wouldn't have time to draw his sword or even raise his shield-

Without thinking, I let my dagger fly through the air towards the wolf. The scene seemed to play in slow motion. Link cringed away from the apparent attack, closing his eyes as the claws neared his face, then my dagger buried itself perfectly in the wolf'f chest, knocking it out of the air and onto the ground where it lay unmoving. I stood breathing heavily, not believing what I just did. Link blinked a couple times before walking over to the wolf and pulling my dagger out.

"Straight into its heart," he said softly. "Nice shot, Princess."

I took the newly bloodied dagger from him but didn't say a word. He cleaned and bandaged my arm in silence, and we continued walking like the whole thing never happened. I guess that will happen a lot from now on.

Constant attacks, and us walking away without a word, leaving the scene of crime. That is if we emerge victorious. What if I hadn't seen that last wolf? What if I hadn't timed my throw right and it overtook Link? And they said something about a Master and others, meaning there is more of those things and maybe more of other things.

We could be up against entire armies of hell's finest demons. I'm now seeing the severity of our situation. This isn't a second chance thing, it's first time succeed or fail. And what if we fail? The Dark King could have entire legions of monsters ready to storm Hyrule and take the Triforce. What at first seemed a simple task is now the impossible.

I have to save the world.

* * *

><p>The rest of our walk through the forest was uneventful; no further attacks and all conversations dying soon after they were started.<p>

When we finally broke free from the forest's seemingly infinite clutches, the sun was rising, peeking over the horizon. I could no long hear the ocean, the comforting sound I've come to know and love, and I felt a pang of homesickness. It's almost too quiet, like the eerie silence from within the woods has been carried over to the rest of the mainland.

I could tell by the discomfort on Link's face that it was bothering him, too. He noticed me looking at him and smiled, taking my hand in his. I smiled back before continuing to look ahead. If the map is correct, Domain should be up ahead. Domain is the major city right along Lake Hylia and houses a majority of Hyrule's Zora population. Ruto is always quick to brag about all of her rich cousins and uncles that live there. Unfortunately, we won't get to go sightseeing. The spot Rauru circled is several miles past Domain, further down the lake.

The lake came into view over the horizon. Lake Hylia glittered majestically in the rising sun, seeming endless like the ocean. Waves lapped up softly on the pebbly lake shore, and I paused to scoop up a handful of the rocks. Zora sapphires are said to be scattered throughout the lake, and people often go diving to search or scour deserted beaches in hopes of getting lucky. I saw no sparkling blues in my collection of rocks and tossed them back onto the beach.

"Are we going to Domain?" Link asked, gesturing to the glimmering city ahead.

"No, Lanayru is farther downstream," I said, shaking my head.

"I thought he said that was approximate. Can't we stop and get breakfast, maybe ask the locals about the spring? They'll probably know something," he insisted.

"You want pancakes, don't you?"

"...Yes, I do. But we can _also_ bother the Ruto-people for information," he promised. "Right _after_ I get my nice stack of warm pancakes."

"Link, we need to stay focused on the task at hand. Think of Aryll..."

A shadow crossed his face but quickly passed. "Aryll would understand. It's pancakes, Zelda. It's part of my adjusting process."

"You can't blame everything on your 'adjusting process.' "

"I sure as hell can if I want to. And it's true. If I'm sad, I eat pancakes. Please?" he begged, sounding like a kindergarten child again. I huffed, blowing some hair out of my eyes only to have it fall straight back down to where it was.

"Fine. I guess it was a good thing I grabbed my wallet before I chased after you, huh?" I asked, shoving him a bit. A crazy grin spread across his face, and he looked like the old Link again. I hoped the smile would stay there forever.

"I shall pay you back in some way, dear madam. Though I'm already indebted to you for life after you saved my life... I'll have to save your life twice," he mused. "Go get into trouble, and I'll come sweeping in looking all dashing."

"Right. Wait one second while I go get kidnapped by a bunch of rugged bandits. I'll make sure they dress me in something really skimpy and chain me to a bomb, or a pole depending on your taste," I said dryly.

"Really? That'd be great. Would I get a deep, passionate kiss that could possibly turn into something more afterward?"

"No."

"Every hero gets a kiss from his princess afterwards. That's like, an unspoken rule of heroism."

"Because you know so much about being a Hero!"

"Adjusting process."

"Shut up."

We arrived at the famous Gate of Domain just as the sun had completed rising above the horizon line. The Gate was made of a strange, metallic material that shone like the stars and seemed to radiate its own light. The melt was a purplish blue and swirled in intricate patterns. All of the swirls met at a central point that held a massive Zora sapphire. I've seen pictures at school, but the Gate was truly a sight to behold. Two guards stood watch, posture erect and spears at the ready. One guard looked over at us as we approached, eyeing us carefully, noting our weapons.

"State your business."

Link looked at him wearily.

"Breakfast?"

"You're armed to eat scrambled eggs?" The guard looked him up and down. "How old are you, kid?" he asked.

"Seventeen."

"...My apologies, sir. You are legalized to carry weapons. Just know that your presence is being noted and guards will have alert. It's safety precautions; weird things have been happening lately," the guard said, pressing a webbed hand to the sapphire. The entire Gate lit up radiantly with a pale blue-white light and swung open. "Enjoy your time in Domain, and be careful."

"Thanks," I said as we passed through.

The entire city was as beautiful as the Gate was; the buildings were made either of pure sapphire or of that same strange glowing metal the Gate was. The streets were not paved nor were they cobblestone like back home. The streets were tile, each individual little square formed swirling blue and purple patterns. The tiles glittered in the sun, casting reflections everywhere like a disco ball.

"Are you sure we're in Domain? Because I think that wolf killed me and I'm in heaven. Or faerie-land," Link said, marveling at the gorgeous city.

On the corner, musicians were already setting up for the day, tuning instruments and setting out a jar to collect money. Life seemed to be so different here. Back home in Castle Town, the music was jazzier, consisting mainly of basses, keyboards, and brash trumpets that you could hear from miles away and made you want to dance. Here, the band consisted of an acoustic guitar, a harp, and a vocalist, playing and singing a soft, sweet melody that made me want to fall asleep. It was pretty, just so much different from home. I made sure to slip a Rupee in their jar as I passed.

"Where to, Flapjack?" I asked Link, glancing around at the sea of shining buildings.

"Did you just call me Flapjack?"

"Answer my question!"

"Well, I'm assuming we're looking for a breakfast place. See one anywhere?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Where's Telma's when you need it?" I joked.

"Don't remind me of what I'm missing! I already don't want to do this!" he groaned.

"How about that place?" I suggested, pointing to a neat-looking cafe with a red and white striped awning and carefully trimmed flower boxes containing what looked like blue roses. The sign looked hand done and read in swirly pink letters _Lulu's Cafe_. The air surrounding the restaurant smelled like bacon and sweet syrup, causing Link and I to intake deeply; intoxicated by the smell.

"Yes please," Link said, pushing open the door.

A tiny bell rang as we entered the cafe, cutting off a sweet, high voice and alerting a Zora girl who had been arranging fresh pink flowers in the vases on every table. She was wearing a white shirt and a short pink skirt with her blue waitress apron over it. Her face lit up as she saw us and she waved us over.

"Hey, good morning! Usually it's all the seniors that are in this early, but I'm happy to have young people here too! Welcome to Lulu's Cafe, I'm Lulu," she chirped, bounding over with the remainder of her pink flowers still in hand. "Have a seat anywhere, I'll be right back. I have to make sure the chef is awake," she said, rolling her eyes as she pushed past some doors that presumably led to the kitchen.

"Yo, Mikau! Wake up!" The yell was followed by a crash and a series of swear words. Link grinned and pulled a chair out for me by the window. I smiled and took my seat, wincing as the scabbard of my dagger dug into my hip.

Lulu walked back out a second later, the flowers in her hand replaced by a hot pink notepad. She smiled as she neared our table.

"Alright! Can I start you guys off with drinks? Oh shoot, where's my pencil?" she said half to herself as she dug around through the apron's many pockets. "Ah! Found it!" she cried triumphantly, pulling the pencil that had been holding her hair up out of its place, letting her hair cascade down in waves. Her hair did almost look like a river; rippling down her back with it's shimmering blue color. Everything in Domain seems to sparkle. "Okay! Now I can start you off with drinks!"

"Hot chocolate please," I said, smiling up at her. She nodded.

"With whipped cream and sprinkles? Don't think I'm treating you like a child. _I _always get whipped cream and sprinkles," she told me, her violet eyes shining. I laughed.

"Yes, please. Extra sprinkles."

Lulu scrawled that down on the notepad before turning to Link. "And for you, Mister Swordsman? You look like you're doing something important."

"Does ordering apple juice count as important?" he asked with a grin. She laughed, sounding like a thousand tinkling bells.

"Of course it does! One hot chocolate with extra sprinkles and an apple juice coming right up! I'll be back in a sec to get your orders. Menus are already on the table," she said, disappearing into the kitchen again.

Link handed me a pink plastic menu and I took it, scanning the items hungrily. Eggs, French toast, pancakes, sausage... My stomach growled. It all looked too good.

The bell rang again as an older Zora couple entered the cafe and took a seat.

"Be with you in a minute!" Lulu's voice called from the kitchen. She burst out with a tray containing our drinks and set them on our table before rushing to attend to the other couple. I took a deep drink of hot chocolate and with pleasure. The whipped cream makes it so much better.

"Hey, Zelda, you got a little something right there," Link said, gesturing to the neat ring of creamy foam surrounding my mouth. I giggled.

"You don't like it? I was considering growing a beard," I told him. He considered this for a moment, then shook his head.

"I just pictured you with a beard. It wasn't a kissable sight, I'll tell you that!"

We laughed as Lulu arrived at our table again. "Okay, whaddaya want for breakfast?" she asked. "I recommend everything. My boyfriend is a great cook."

"Your boyfriend is the chef?" I asked. She nodded.

"Mmhm. He helped me open this place. It was always a dream of mine to have a restaurant, but I can't cook. I burn everything!" she said with a laugh. "But we're saving up right now to open a bigger place on Hylia Street. That's where all the best places are and where all the best people eat. The cafe is doing well, and we make some money from band gigs at bars, but I don't know if it will be enough," she sighed sadly.

"You have a band? What do you play?" Link asked.

"I'm the lead singer," she said, with a hint of pride in her voice. "Mikau, my boyfriend, is the guitarist. We're the Indigo-Go's, and if the restaurant doesn't make it big, our band will!"

"I'm sure you'll do great at both," I assured her.

"I'll be the judge of that. If your pancakes pass my test, then you have something to brag about. I'm very picky when it comes to my pancakes," he told her, handing her the menu. She smiled.

"One stack of pancakes, coming up. And for you?" she asked me.

"I'll have an egg over-easy with bacon," I told her, handing her my menu as well. She nodded.

"Great! Thanks guys, I'll be back with your food soon," she promised as she retreated into the kitchen once again. Another small group of seniors entered the small cafe.

"I think I like this place," Link said. "It's too bad we have to leave right after this."

I turned away from the window to face him. He's been acting cheerful, but his eyes were dark and tired, lacking their usual shine. Dark rings underneath his eyes only emphasized the serious look. He looked a lot older, I decided. Tougher, wiser. More ready for what was to come than the old Link.

"You alright?" I asked, taking his hand across the table. He shrugged.

"As alright as I can be. Don't worry about me, we need to worry about Aryll," he said, looking out at the roads of Domain, which were slowly becoming more busy. I sighed, knowing he was right, but I feel like I should be worried for him. I'm a worrier, and that's what I do. I worry.

"And here we are! Pancakes, and egg and bacon! Enjoy you two, and I hope it meets your standards!" Lulu said with a wink towards Link as she left to refill a man's coffee.

I used the side of my fork to cut my egg and took a bite. Maybe it was the fatigue and stress of learning I was the Princess of Destiny, but it was the best egg I've ever eaten. Buttery, salty, peppery... Before I knew it, the egg was gone and I was left with a spotless plate and no hot chocolate. Link was staring down his empty plate too, a wistful expression on his face.

"Damn. Killing wolves makes a guy hungry," he said, grinning childishly at me. Lulu approached again, a confused expression on her face as she saw our empty plates.

"Holy Hylia, you two must have been hungry! Seriously, you like, inhaled that! Was it good?" she asked, picking up the plates.

"Officially the best pancakes in Hyrule," Link said. "Your restaurant will go far."

Lulu laughed. "I certainly hope so! And your total comes to about 26 Rupees. Let me get rid of your dishes, and then you can pay," she said scurrying to dump our plates in the kitchen with a crash. I giggled and pulled out two red Rupees.

"Here. Good luck with your singing and the cafe. Keep the change," I said as we stood. Her eyes grew wide.

"Seriously?"

"Yep. You deserve it," I told her. She broke into a blinding grin.

"You two are my official favoritest people ever! Thanks so much!" she cried, throwing her arms around my neck. Link snickered, and I glared at him.

"No problem. One last thing though. Do you know how to get to Lanayru Spring?" I asked. Her brow furrowed.

"Lanayru Spring... I've heard of it but I have no clue where it is! Sorry. But there's this old fortune teller lady on the end of the street who might know. She knows a lot about old legends and places like that."

I smiled. "Thanks again. See you around!"

"Yeah! Stop in anytime!" Lulu called, waving as we left.

"You know, that was almost as good as Telma's," Link said as we stood on the now busy street, watching as hundreds of Zoras milled around, heading to work or breakfast. A few Hylians were scattered here and there, as well as a couple Twili. Besides that, though the entire population seemed to consist of Zoras, Zoras, and more Zoras.

"Well, we should check out this fortune teller and see what she has to say," I said, starting to walk down the crowded sidewalk.

"Fortune tellers tend to be crackpots," Link informed me as we walked. "Never trust a crackpot."

I stopped at an obviously older but equally decorative building. While Lulu's smelled pleasantly of good food, this place reeked of incense. Dream catchers and wind chimes hung all outside the door, and people seemed to avoid walking past it if they could.

"Fate's Fortunes," I read aloud. "This is the place." I pushed the door open, walking into an old, dusty room. The wooden floorboards squeaked beneath my feet, and the incense smell tripled, if not quadrupled. Antique rugs and tapestries hung from every available surface, and Ouija boards and crystals balls were located at random points around the room.

"Welcome, Hero of Time and Princess of Destiny. I've been expecting you," a wise, throaty voice said behind us. We whirled around to see a small, wrinkled old Zora lady clothed in purple robes. Her green eyes glittered up at us. Link leaned over to me.

"I don't think she's a crackpot," he whispered in my ear.

"You've come to know the location of Lanayru Spring, haven't you?" she asked. I nodded, regaining my composure. Being called the Princess of Destiny is a little weird, believe it or not.

"Um, yes, we are."

"The Fates told me you would be. Unfortunately, I cannot help you," she said. Link frowned.

"Why not?" he demanded.

"Because I do not know, child," she replied simply. "If I knew I would tell you. However, only one person is trusted with the information of the location of Lanayru Spring."

"Who?" Link and I asked in unison.

"My sister. She lives in a small fishing village just a little north of here. It goes by the name of Peculiar. She is the village Elder. Go to her, and she will help you," the old fortune teller told us.

"The village is named Peculiar?" Link asked. The old lady nodded.

"Peculiar village. Now, be off! Time is not on your side! If you wish to save the one you seek, I'd recommend you hurry..."

Link's face darkened, suddenly all business. He nodded curtly to the old woman and opened the door, letting sunlight spill into the dark room. He gestured for me to follow him.

"Thanks, lady. Zelda, come on. We need to go."

He dragged me outside and pulled the map out of the backpack, scanning it slowly, searching for Peculiar. I glanced at the crowd surrounding us, watching as people came and went about their business. A teenager biked fiercely through the crowd, desperate to get to work on time. A lady sold homemade bracelets on the corner. Guards stood by and watched all the chaos silently. I tried following all of the action, when suddenly my eyes landed on a familiar red ponytail. My eyes lit up and I pushed through the crowd towards it. Sure enough, there was Midna talking on the phone, dressed in dark jeans and a black sweatshirt.

"-arrived in Domain. Send them immediately, or they'll be too late," she was saying. "I don't have much time, you need to-"

"Midna!" I cried, flinging my arms around her. She screamed and dropped the phone. The line went dead.

"Oh, Din, I'm so sorry!" I said, bending over to pick up the phone. "Here."

She snatched the phone away from me and eyed me warily. "What's with the getup?" she asked, gesturing to my clothes.

"Long story, Middie. I'll tell it all later, I promise. But what are you doing in Domain? Who were you talking to?" I asked. She bit her lip and shuffled her shoes.

"I'm visiting my aunt here. All my cousins are coming down for a big dinner, and my aunt wants a flower arrangement and I was talking to the florist when you scared the shit out of me. I'll have to call them back," she said with a weak smile. I laughed.

"They'll think you're crazy! I'm sorry I made you drop your phone," I told her. I saw Link waving me down from the corner of my eye, and I turned back to Midna. "Hey, I've got to go, but have fun with your cousins! See ya!" I called as I chased after Link.

"What were you doing?" he demanded impatiently as I caught up to walk with him. "I thought you were taken and killed by a midget or a dragon or something!"

"Nothing of the sort. I saw Midna and said hi."

"Midna? What was she doing here?" he asked.

"Visiting family. I didn't know she had an aunt here, but hey, that's cool," I said as we turned a corner and waited for a guard to wave us across a busy street.

"Hm. You'd think she would have told you," he said as we walked across the street towards the north gate of Domain. I nodded.

"You're right. Strange."

* * *

><p>"You know, there's something peculiar about that village," Link said for the fifth time, pointing at the small cluster of houses in the distance. I didn't reply; I kept my face stone straight and kept staring straight ahead. Link burst out laughing and poked me.<p>

"Get it? Peculiar?"

"Yes, I get it. I got it the other four times, too."

"You never laughed. I was sacred you didn't understand my brilliant piece of humor," he said, looking out at the village.

We had been walking for an hour, not the "few miles" the damn fortune teller had told us, and the village had just now come into sight. I was hot, tired, annoyed with Link, and my arm hurt where the wolf had scratched me. It throbbed each time my heart beat.

"Don't worry. The humor is absolutely crystal clear," I grumbled, wishing the clothes I was given weren't so hot.

"Absolutely crystal? Or just kind of crystal? Is crystal even clear?" he rambled on. I wonder if this is what he does when he's tired. Either way, I'm ready to strangle him and I'm wondering how Aryll survived.

"It's extremely positively crystal freaking clear! Now sneck you trap!" I snapped. He snorted.

"Did you just say 'sneck'? Seriously? Sneck your trap? Ha! That's hilarious! It's almost as funny as- Hey, do you smell smoke?" he asked, stopping dead in his tracks. I stopped too and inhaled deeply. Sure enough, the pungent smell of smoke burned my nostrils.

"Is someone having a barbecue, or is a farmer clearing land or-" I stopped, seeing the burning roofs of Peculiar. It was extremely positively crystal clear then that it was definitely _not_a barbecue.

We burst into a sprint towards the burning village containing our last lead to Aryll.

"What happened?" I yelled as we drew closer to the village. Screams could be heard now, echoing from the village, accompanied by inhuman grunts.

"You think I know? It's on fire! Obviously someone set it on fire! Or some kid got a flamethrower on his birthday and he is a sadist!" Link yelled back.

The smoke was thicker now, billowing up in black clouds towards the sky, choking my lungs. I coughed and surveyed the ruined village. The people were all tied at the far end of the village, surrounded by strange pig-bulldog-pirate hybrid creatures. I'm not sure what they were, but they had swords and outnumbered us at least twenty five to one.

What in the name of all things holy are those?" Link asked, ducking behind a burning building so we wouldn't be seen. I shook my head.

"I don't know, but I don't think they're here to offer us tea. There's even more hiding in the wreckage, see?" I whispered, pointing to a few stupid ones poking around the burning homes.

"Well, we have to do something! The lady who knows where Aryll is is tied up there. And there's children. I say we just run in there. They don't look too bright," he said, eyeing the only street of Peculiar. I shook my head.

"Way too risky. They totally outnumber us, and there could be a surprise ambush waiting-"

But I had already lost him. He leapt out into the street, shield up and sword ready. I cringed as he snuck up behind one unsuspecting pig and drove his blade home. It was only a momentary success, however. The squeal of their dying comrade alerted the others to Link's presence, and they all went charging towards him. I ran out to help him, slashing my dagger through the stomach of one oncoming monster. The creatures seemed to have no strategy at all, just charge and kill.

I sidestepped the swing of a blade and kicked out at its stomach, knocking it down then delivering a fatal blow. This was much easier than I expected, but there were so many of them! they just kept coming...

I yelped as I felt the edge of a blade nick my shoulder, just deep enough to draw blood. I whirled around and stabbed forward, only to find my attack blocked by the thing's sword. I grunted in frustration and swung sideways, catching its stomach with my blade. I kicked out behind me, my foot coming in contact with at least two pig things, then I whirled around with my dagger out, cutting through three pigs as I did.

Hey, that actually worked! I saw Link copy my strategy, only his attack was more effective as he had a longer blade. I turned back to the oncoming things and stabbed another one. I was getting a little tired, actually... I ducked to avoid another blow then rolled to the side to avoid another. I jumped up, panting, and killed another.

I heard Link cry out in pain and I spun around instantly to see what happened, but as I did, one creature knocked the wooden hilt of its sword against my skull. I yelled out, and staggered a bit, my vision going fuzzy. I swung out at random, my blade coming in contact with air. My head pounded, aching with a sharp pain. Standing up and truing to focus, I slashed diagonally through a pig's defensive stance then cut down its neighbor as well. I turned to see Link was fighting back with twice the zeal; a bloody gash on his face and blood running down his cheek. His blade sliced through a final monster, and when it fell, all was silent.

Breathing heavily, he turned to me. "You okay?" he asked, indicating my head. I nodded.

"A little discombobulated. Slightly dizzy. I'll be fine," I said. I figure as long as birds aren't flying in circles above me and I'm not seeing double, I'll be alright. He nodded and turned to the terrified citizens of Peculiar. He began to wade his way through the pool of corpses towards them.

"Here, let me-"

A deep, rumbling chuckle cut him off. I turned slowly with him and almost screamed at what I saw. It was another pig thing, only thing one was four times the size, had a huge spear, actually had a shield, and its butt-cheeks were showing through whatever form of pants he was wearing. He smiled grotesquely at Link, displaying cooked, yellow teeth, and began waddling towards him. I stay rooted where I was, terrified.

Link swung at the thing with his sword, but the creature blocked it with its shield. It swung at Link with its spear, and I screamed bloody murder, expecting the end. But the blade didn't touch Link, only the wooden shaft. He hit the ground with a thud, and I heard a few cuss words escape his lips.

He slowly pulled himself up and raised his shield, glaring stonily up at the disgusting monster. The monster swung again, but this time Link rolled to the side and slashed at the creature's bare side with his sword. It seemed unaffected by his blows; it merely turned to face him again and raised its shield. It raised the spear to strike again, but this time Link rolled forwards to avoid the attack and caught it by surprise, landing attack after attack on the beast's stomach, raining continuous blows down. It looked like it was ready to strike again, but it let out a ghastly howl and began swaying back and forth.

"Link! Look out!" I screamed as the monster came crashing to the ground. Link barely had time to dive baseball-style out of the way as the beast fell to earth hard and lay still. I ran over to Link as he slowly pulled himself up.

"Oh! Link, are you okay? Link?" I asked, offering him my hand that he didn't take. Brushing dust off of the faded green tunic, he looked at me grimly, any joy he had left completely gone.

"I am never, I repeat _never, _saving a peculiar town from vicious demon hordes," he rasped, turning away from me and towards the citizens. They had been quiet this whole time, and it just occurred to me that a majority of them were probably unconscious.

A few adults, particularly one old Zora with piercing gold eyes, were alert and aware of the situation. Others were slumped over against the pole they were tied to. Link cut the ropes quickly and helped get the unconscious into comfortable positions before turning back to me. He looked beaten up and tired, and I expected him to snap an order at me, but instead he walked over and wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his head into my neck. He didn't say a word.

"You two just saved our entire village," the Zora lady said, her voice quiet yet rugged. Link didn't look up from my neck but nodded."How can we ever thank you?" she asked.

"Well, your sister sent us here from Domain. We're looking for Lanayru Spring," I told her. Something flickered in her gold eyes.

"So it's true," she whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"I have been having my suspicions for a while. A dark feeling, strange visions, this attack... Now two children show up searching for the light spirit's spring, one bearing the Blessed Sword? Evil is rising once again," she said, looking at me sadly. "And you children have been Chosen to see it defeated."

"That's exactly what it says in my job description," Link muttered from my neck. I flicked his ear.

"I'm afraid so, ma'am. I'm Zelda, and this is Link. Do you know where the spring is?" I asked. Her eyes flicked to the other citizens, most of which were regaining consciousness.

"Do you have a map?" she asked. I nodded, shoving Link off of me and digging through the backpack.

"Here."

She took it and produced a one from her pocket, drawing a shaky 'X' just to the left of Rauru's circle.

"Your estimate was close. The spring is in a cove by the lake and hasn't been explored for many years. There are traps to guard the spirit's power, and I'd imagine monsters have gotten in and made their home in those caves. If you choose to proceed there, be careful. I don't have much to give you, especially nothing to repay you for what you've done, but here, take this," she said, handing me a bottle of a red liquid. "It's a heart potion. It heals any injury and takes away the pain."

I nodded and smiled. "Thanks you so much. You're very kind," I told her. Link grabbed the bottle from me and stared at the liquid inside.

"I went through all of that for a jar of Kool-Aid?" he asked, his expression incredulous. The Zora looked taken aback, but I smiled and laughed nervously, elbowing Link in the ribs.

"He loves Kool-Aid. Now thank you so much for all you've done, and... we'll be off! Thanks!" I said, dragging Link with me, trying to avoid stepping on any corpses.

"At least we don't have to clean up the mess," Link stated as we exited the ruined village of Peculiar. We didn't even put the fire out.

"Agreed. I think I'd rather listen to Shad's 'sex is evil' speech than clean up."

* * *

><p>We walked along the cool beach for a while, the sun beating down overhead, causing me to sweat. We took frequent water breaks; bending down to greedily gulp up the pure, fresh water of Lake Hylia. Thank Nayru for water. After two hours of walking in painful silence, we came upon the exact spot where the lady had drawn the X. I saw no cave in sight, just trees, water, and a friggin' huge boulder.<p>

"Please tell me the lady wasn't senile," Link whined, looking around. "She did seem like it, didn't she? Giving us Kool-Aid, then randomly putting an X wherever she felt like? I think she was crazy! Old person crazy!"

I looked around, squinting in the sun. "No, it's here somewhere. I can feel it. I just can't..." I yawned, not finishing my statement.

"We should probably sleep; we haven't rested in twenty-four hours," Link said, sting down on the soft grass. I sat next to him, watching sleepily as he uncorked the heart potion and took a swig. His face wrinkled in disgust.

"It tastes like strawberries! Warm strawberries!" he declared, handing the bottle to me. I took a sip as well, also finding the liquid warm and fruit flavored. I capped it up and set it next to my backpack. I unstrapped my sheath from my waist and stretched out, yawning in the warm sun.

"I'm taking a rest, okay? You should too," I told him. I got silence in return. "Link?" Nothing. "Link?" A snore, a soft snore. I smiled. He was already asleep. I turned so I was facing the lake, so I could hear the soft sound of the waves better, and closed my eyes...

_I saw fire again. Lots of fire. Rivers ran with blood, flooding the land. I saw Aryll standing knee deep in the river, hands and white dress stained crimson. She plucked her harp softly, oblivious to all the destruction. I saw Link crying in the fire, face buried in his hands, calling out for his mother. Midna screamed as she burned in the flames, dark laughter echoing all around her. She hung on strings like a puppet. And there was me, hugging Mattie amidst the raging fires, a content look on my face, as unaware as Aryll... "Soon, young Princess. Soon you shall belong to me..."_

I cracked my eyes open. I was hot and sweaty, and my neck was slightly sore. I sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I felt great. Despite the heat, my aches and pain were gone, my cuts weren't bleeding and my head no longer hurt. Link still slept on, and I stood up quietly so I wouldn't wake him. Walking to the river, I splashed some cold water on my face. It felt great and I resisted the urge to jump full on into the inviting waters. I stood up and stretched to touch the ground. Now, where could that spring be?

I glanced around. There were no cliffs where caves could be located. The woods were sparse up here, only a few trees. No caves could be hiding in there... And then there was that boulder. Nothing interesting about that. But the flowers next to the boulder...

I squinted to make sure I wasn't seeing things. The flowers... They looked like giant blue bombs. I stepped closer to be sure. They really did, fuse and all. I tried to pick one, but found it heavy. An actual bomb? Growing as a flower?

I bent over, got a good grip on the blue plant, then heaved upward with all my strength. The flower came with it, only now a hissing sound filled the air. I glanced around for the source, when I noticed the fuse slowly receding into the plant. It can't be an actual...

I screamed and dropped the bomb, throwing myself to the ground just in time for it to explode and pieces of the boulder to fly everywhere. Link jerked awake, suddenly alert.

"What the hell did you just do?" he cried. I said nothing, I was too busy gaping at the hole I had just blown. The boulder was completely gone; blown to smithereens. But underneath the boulder were torch lit stairs. Stairs.

"Link! I found the entry to the spring! The lady wasn't senile after all!" I said happily, pointing. He stood up and grabbed the backpack and tossed me my knife. He peered at the hole and at the dark stairs leading down, and nodded.

"Only you would think of blowing the shit out of it. Nice going," he grunted.

And we began our descent into the cave.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes! I'm done! That was a long one! Sorry if the battle scenes are off... I'm tired... It's late for me... Anyway, I like this one. I like Domain.<strong>

**1. Peculiar is an actual town in Missouri! Every time we pass through it, my dad goes, "Hey, Leila, there's something... I don't know, peculiar about this town..." he's so funny. The same thing happened at lake Erie, only it was my sister. "There's something eerie about this lake!" Har har. My family is hilarious.**

**2. You know what I just figured out? The names of the goddesses are in the providence names! Maybe everyone knew that, but I feel smart! Lanayru, Faron, Eldin! See what I did there? Yeah.**

**3.I loved writing Lulu and Mikau :)**

**4. I like spelling fairy like faerie. I don't always, but I just felt like it today**

**Thanks for reading! Next chapter should be up quicker, it'll be shorter and stuff. Sorry for the delay, and thanks to everyone who reads! Even if you don't review but you just click on this, thanks a ton! And to those who do review and subscribe: I love you in a creepy internet way. So I don't actually love you, but I love when you review. Thanks guys, you all make my day!**

**~Leila**


	18. Chapter 17

**I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter, because I actually for once liked it too!**

**AnonyDream: Thanks for pointing out mistakes! I really appreciate that, and I went back and changed them. I'm too lazy to check my own... So when you guys do, that's great! I go back and read the chapter I put out on my iPod and I catch a majority of the mistakes, but a few slip! Thanks :)**

**Zolias: The excuse me Princess was very fully intentional :) And thanks, that makes me feel good!**

**pyrosavvy5: The cave is TOTALLY a dungeon. That's comin up next :)**

**Thanks to ShadowNinja1011, ZeldaPhoenixLegend, liveoutloud120, boredman46, Misty, Sheikgal, and Kamil the Awesome. Thanks so very very much :)**

**~Leila**

**And also: I got two beta requests! Yay! I'll take up to three or four at a time, so if you have any stories... Send em to me! Thanks prien12 and anidawind!**

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><p>Chapter Seventeen (?)<p>

The girl shuffled into the dark throne room, her head down and her fists clenched. She should be running. She should be nowhere near here. She should never have gotten involved. Yet here she was, a piece on a carefully set chess board. She could be moved anywhere they wanted, whether she wanted to or not. They had her wrapped around their fingers, wound multiple times and tied in knots. There was nothing she could do. Struggling was pointless. It only resulted in pain. There was no way for her to escape her predicament. Not on her own, anyway. For at the moment, she couldn't trust herself. She was one of her own worst enemies.

The girl reached the majestic throne at the end of the room and stood before the man that sat in it. His presence was all too familiar to her; his voice haunted her dreams. She never wanted to come back. But she found herself coming obediently everyday.

_Kneel._

Her body obliged, involuntarily crouching into a respective kneel. Her lips curved into a snarl, and she looked up to meet the orange eyes of the man in front of her. Lord of Darkness. Her master.

"My Lord," she hissed, the venom in her voice evident. "What have I done to deserve being graced with your presence?"

The man smiled, revealing a row of razor sharp teeth like a sharks. He stood from the throne and stepped down to stand before her. He smelled like corpses and blood. She wanted to stand up, to run, to kick him, to _something_. But she didn't obey herself anymore. She stayed in the kneeling position.

"My dear girl," the man rasped, grinning malevolently. "I call upon you for the same reason I call you every night. You know things I want," he said, his voice dripping with sugary sweet syrup. She cringed, keeping her head down.

"And you know, as we have gone over every night, that you will have to force me to tell you!"

The man sighed. "Look at me."

The girl did nothing; she simply stared down at the black and turquoise designs swirling on the floor. Turquoise. Officially her least favorite color. When the marks first appeared, she thought they looked cool. Tough, even. Now they pained her to even look at. The thought of them made her sick.

"I said _look at me_!"

She felt sharp nails dig into her chin as he forced her to look up at him, commanding her sunset eyes to meet his. Pure hate coursed through her veins as he stared her down, an unspeakable loathing that she felt every time she came anywhere near him. Unfortunately for her, that was too often.

"I grow tired of your insubordination. It would be so much easier and so much less painful if you would just accept what you've done and deal with the consequences," he snapped, ignoring the drops of blood that dripped from her chin and onto his fingers. "Besides, it's all for the best," he whispered, leaning in close and fingering her neck seductively. "When we have succeeded and all is ours, you will rule by our side. You will be a ruler of a new and better age. You will be a _princess_."

She shivered at his touch, frozen in place as his lips brushed her neck. His breath was hot on her face.

"Think of it," he murmured. "Think of all the power. Think of what you could become. You're better than they are. You deserve a higher place. And that's what I'm offering you. All I need to know is what you saw today."

"They were at Domain... I ran into the girl. They're looking for Lanayru Spring... Following the little goddess... I sent the diversion to Peculiar... Don't know if they survived," the girl mumbled in a dreamy, trance-like state. Her eyes were distant and unfocused, and thoughts and emotions warred in her head. The man nodded, not leaving her side. His finger continued to stroke her neck, his nail leaving red scratches along her skin.

"They already made it to Domain. Interesting. That was good of you to send the little distraction in. Very good of you indeed."

"Didn't have... much of a choice," she managed, fighting to stay independent from his control. She wouldn't give in... She wouldn't...

She gasped as he kissed her neck, his tongue hot and wet against her skin. "You've always had fight in you. That's why I like you. That's why I chose you," he whispered. "You've been most helpful, and your help will be rewarded. I'm proud of you, my princess. Most proud indeed."

He turned her head so she was facing him and stroked her cheek gently. "Be gone now. You know what to do. I hope to see you soon," he chuckled.

And he kissed her a final time, this time fiercely and passionately on the lips. She groaned in protest, and he was gone. Dematerialized in an instant, leaving her on her own, and taking his hold of her with him. For the moment, she was free. She stayed on the floor a moment more, steadying her heart rate, clenching and unclenching her fists, reminding herself that he didn't own her. That she was her own person.

Tears stung her eyes. Each time she saw him, each and every time, he was closer and closer to seducing her to join his side. Tempting her with his power, teasing with her thoughts, playing with her emotions, leaving her feeling empty and lost. Sometimes she broke down and sobbed after their meetings; it was just too much to take. She couldn't handle being a different person. She had thoughts that weren't hers. She did things without her own consent. The worst thing about it was that she was fully aware and totally helpless. There was absolutely nothing for her to do but stay silent and watch herself become a worse and worse person. And it was harder to do every single time.

The room was heavy with silence, the seriousness pressing down on the girl's shoulders. She stay huddled on the floor for a second more, absently tracing a turquoise pattern on the floor. If she rolled up her sleeve, she would find identical patterns. They would be there for the rest of her life, haunting her and all her nightmares.

She left the room, spirit broken, expression determined, and a hand on the long knife in her belt. She would do what her master said. After all, he was her master, and she was helpless.

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><p><strong>Wow, that was deep stuff. The master's pretty... intimate with his servants, huh? Anyway, I kind of like this one. It's a different mood, and it's heavier to take in. Let me know what you think about the way the master acts towards the servant, if you know who they are... It's actually very obvious, so I hope you know! Anyway, thanks guys! Read, review, and subscribe and favorite, and I'm rambling.<strong>

**Adios for now.**

**~Leila**


	19. Chapter 18

**Alrighty, I'm back! And to clarify, yes, that was Zant and Midna. I always pictured Zant as a creeper, and always thought he had something for Midna. On the other hand, I always felt so bad for Midna because she was completely under his control but she was aware and aware of the fact that she was helpless. Thus that mildly disturbing chapter. Now, this'll be the first temple! And since this is Nayru's temple, it will be more puzzles than anything else. Din's is more brute force and strength testing things, and Farore's is the "let's throw a bunch of extremely hard enemies at you and see if you're dumb enough to want to kill them all" temple. So yeah, I'm tying to think of witty temple puzzles... We'll see how that works out!**

**Lauparisi: He gets worse, too. I have another twist with Zant involved planned! Mwaha, and I hope to make his death memorable. (I tried thinking of a way to say that without sounding disturbed, but I failed.)**

**littlelostdreamer: Yes, in the upcoming stuff, Zelda will remember bits and pieces, and then it'll come crashing back all at a certain point!**

**Misty: Haha, I'm not sure if I should be happy or concerned that I do creepy-emotional parts well! Thanks for the reviews!**

**And thanks to ShadowNinja1011, ZeldaPhoenixLegend, pyrosavvy5, Kamil the Awesome, Rose Starglen, Kindleh, boredman46, sonicpit99, linker723, Zelink4ever, DarkOppressor, and BlueMonkeyDoll for reviewing! You guys make writing worthwhile! :)**

**~Leila**

**Did you know that rattrap is all one word? I didn't. I looked it up in the dictionary just to be sure autocorrect wasn't wrong.**

**Also, I'm cramming an entire temple into this chapter, so be prepared for a monster of a chapter!**

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><p>Chapter Eighteen (Link)<p>

The fire was blue. That's all I could think about as Zelda and I traveled deeper and deeper underground. The fire that lit the torches was blue. Instead of casting a soft, warm light, the light radiating from the fire was harsh and bright, making you cringe if you were to look it straight on. It created an overall eerie feeling; a sense of foreboding. That's all that stood out to me as we descended into the dark depths of the earth. I didn't know how long we had been walking for. Maybe minutes, maybe hours, maybe days. I was just following the tunnel. For all I know, it could be leading us straight to hell. We could be rats waltzing directly into a rattrap.

When we finally emerged from the endless staircase, we found ourselves in a large, open room. The room was still lit by that same electric blue light, this time the source being the thousands of little luminescent fireflies fluttering around, casting a soft light across the room.

We were on a wide walkway leading across a pond to a circular platform in the center of the room. From there, four narrow catwalks led across to four doors, three of which were locked. A large, detailed tile staircase led up to a big, central door. Naturally, that one was locked too, though that lock looked different from the others.

All of the walkways were tiled with the same shimmering blue, purple and silver tiles, moving like waves across the floor. The pond beneath was dark; you could see nothing beneath the raven black surface. A few peaceful lillypads drifted about the water, bearing beautiful pink flowers. In all, the room was beautiful. It was the picture-perfect example of serenity. But why did I feel so uneasy?

I stood in the center of the circular platform on top of a large Zora sapphire. If I ripped this place apart tile by tile, I'd be a rich man. I'd be the smartest raccoon I know. Zelda came over and stood next to me.

"Well this doesn't look so bad," she commented as a firefly flew past her nose.

"Don't jinx it. I won't be surprised when a fifty-foot alligator leaps out of that pond and swallows you in one bite," I told her. She made a face.

"Don't be ridiculous. Heroes taste better," she retorted.

"Toads and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of. Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of. The alligator isn't that dense; he knows I'm the brussel sprouts and you're the giant sugar cookie. It's just a known fact that girls taste better than boys," I said. She threw her hands up in defeat.

"I'm ignoring that delightful insight on cannibalism. But now what? Should we go the only unlocked door? We'll end up doing that eventually, but I want to get a better look at that weird lock up on the big door," Zelda said, gesturing up the stairs towards the massive purple door.

"It was not cannibalism!" I cried. "It was simply the thought process of a giant man-eating crocodile. And I agree, that lock looks suspicious. Let's split up and look for clues."

"This isn't Scooby Doo, Sherlock."

"Well which am I? Shaggy or Sherlock? That means you're either Scooby or Watson. But you're not funny enough to be Scooby nor are you stout enough to be Watson," I mused, looking her over. She blinked.

"Did you just call me stout?"

"No! I called Watson stout. Was he even stout? I always pictured him stout. Stout with a bowler hat. Stout guys always wear bowler hats," I informed her as she studiously ignored me and shoved past me to climb the stairs to the locked door.

I grinned to myself and followed her. As we drew closer, I saw that the things I thought were chains holding the door closed weren't chains at all. Nothing was holding the door closed. Frowning, I pushed on it to open. Nothing happened. I tried pulling up from the bottom. It didn't budge. Zelda's brow was furrowed in concentration. How could this door be locked with no lock? The only thing that looked out of place was that the large, circular tile in the center of the door that I thought was a lock was missing... It almost looked like someone tore it off the door.

Zelda turned to me. "What-"

That's as far as she got before the air between us suddenly began to bend and shimmer. It was forming a shape, a human shape. The figure came more and more into focus, and I saw it was a girl. She was beautiful, in a fragile way. Almost like this place we were in.

Her skin was the color of cream, and her lips the color of a pale rose petal's. Like Zelda's, I thought to myself. Her hair was down to her waist and colored a light blue that moved; waving like the lake up above. Gauzy wing-like things sprouted from her back, fluttering slowly and glowing softly with pale hues of every color of the rainbow. Her eyes almost ruined her delicate beauty. They were a piercing blue that bore into your skull, far too bright to be human. There was no pupil to soften her gaze. I looked down at my newly acquired boots to avoid her stares. No matter what Rauru says, I still think they are man-Uggs.

"_Hero and Princess."_

Her voice was other-worldly; sounding like harp music, rushing water, thunder and tinkling bells, yet somehow her words were understandable.

_"You come following the young girl. She passed through not too long ago," _she said, turning to look at the massive door behind her. _"Unfortunately, a servant of darkness also came through here not too long ago. She greatly wounded me and depleted my powers, then chased after the girl, locking the door and breaking the key behind her."_

"Who are you?" Zelda demanded of the girl.

_"I am Arethusa, Guardian of Nayru's Spring, Great Fairy of Lanayru. I was getting careless and toyed with the dark servant that came through here, not realizing her true power. I am useless as I am now," _the girl said, looking sadly at her bare feet.

It mildly disturbed me to think that this creature in front of me was thousands and thousands of years old but only appeared fourteen. Besides her eyes, of course. Those definitely scream "I'm a thousand years old!"

"You saw Aryll?" I asked, eager for her to let us through. An amused expression crossed her face.

_"She goes by Aryll now, does she? Yes, the one whom you seek came through here. She got to the Spring before the dark servant came here, and I imagine she is safe. Do not worry. However, if you wish to get to her, you'll to to find the four pieces of the lock. It was broken by the-"_

"By the dark servant, yeah, we know! You've only said it like, twice!" I burst out. She looked at me with mild interest and barely concealed contempt.

_"The pieces were scattered around the cave. I can give you clues, but not an exact location. One is in the fire, obscured by the flames. One is under the first lilypad, the first by the fire's game. One is hidden plainly, stuck out in plain view. One is in the place most important to you."_

Zelda's face was twisted in focus as she struggled to memorize and make sense of Arethusa's rhyme. "But what does that mean? Important to which one of us? Can't you just tell us the answer?" she cried.

The fairy smiled sadly at Zelda as she began to fade into the background, her form becoming translucent, her voice becoming softer with every word. _"That is all I can tell you, my dear... You of all people should understand that Nayru will never give a straight answer..."_

And she was gone. Disappeared into thin air, leaving Zelda and I alone once more in the glowing blue chamber. Zelda yelled out in frustration and slammed her fist against the wall.

"What the _hell! _What does any of that even mean? None of it makes sense!" she screamed, her voice echoing off of the cave's walls.

"You're the smart one. Figure it out," I said bluntly. She whipped around, fixing her sharp gaze on me. Oh, if looks could kill. I'd be dead before she even turned to look at me.

"Look you sardonic bastard, I'm working on it! Don't push the process!"

A smile quirked on my lips. "The adjusting process?"

"Shut the fuck up! You think you're hilarious, don't you? Goddesses! You- I can't stand you!" she shouted, storming down the stairs and standing on the large sapphire again, her arms crossed and back facing me.

Her words stung. I stared after her, waiting for an apology, a following statement, a compliment... I got nothing of the sort. Just an angry silence. My heart sank a little. Did she really think that? Can she really not stand me? I thought... Maybe... Maybe... Maybe what? Maybe someone cared again? Maybe I found someone to help me feel like I'm somebody, not just a piece of trash? The only person that can do that is Aryll. Aryll is the reason I'm here, not Zelda. Zelda can do whatever the hell she wants. My prime focus is Aryll, and all I want is Aryll.

I jumped down the stairs and walked past Zelda, slowing my pace to balance on the narrow catwalk leading to the unlocked door. Zelda's voice rang out from behind me.

"Where are you going?"

"Isn't it a little obvious?" I countered, holding my arms out so I wouldn't fall into the most-likely barracuda infested waters. Never trust water when you can't see the bottom.

"You're going alone?" she asked, a little bit of hurt in her voice as she walked to the beginning of the catwalk.

"That was the general plan!"

"Link, I'm sorry, I didn't mean... I'm just... This is hard for me too, okay? I just don't know how to deal with it," she said quietly. I tried not to turn around at the sadness of her voice. I resisted the urge to turn around and sweep her into a hug. Aryll, I have to see Aryll...

"Yeah, well, I could think of a million better ways to deal with it. You obviously don't need me, or want me for that matter, so I'll just go by myself. No big deal. The Hero never needed the Princess anyway."

I heard her take in a sharp breath, and I grinned to myself. My words had gotten through.

"Fine then. Fine. Good luck. I'll just go- go home. Alone. Without you."

I could tell she was fighting tears. Typical girl. Well, the innocence and guilt things stopped working on me after she told me to shut the fuck up. I continued walking down the skinny walkway, completely concentrating on making it. Almost there...

"Great. Don't let the door hit you on the way ou- AHH!"

The floor slipped out from underneath me, and I heard Zelda scream my name as I spiraled through the air. That was the last thing I heard before I crashed into the freezing cold water. Bubbles surrounded me, and I couldn't see a thing. I kicked myself up, hoping that my natural buoyancy would kick in and assist me on my way up. The water was freezing cold, extremely dark, and probably went down forever... I broke surface and gasped for breath, treading water as I coughed up some water I had swallowed.

"Oh, goddesses, Link!" I heard Zelda cry.

"I'm fine, I swear, I'm fine-"

Something strong grabbed ahold of my ankle, and I yelled as I was yanked under the surface again. I was being dragged down, deeper and deeper towards the bottom. I reached down and clawed at the thing around my leg, desperately trying to rip it off. I was rewarded with a deafening roar, and suddenly, the dragging ceased.

I looked around me trying to distinguish up from down, right from left, trying to identify some way to escape, when suddenly I found myself facing a gigantic yellow eye the size of a basketball. I screamed, sending precious bubbles of air up to the surface.

I thrashed in the thing's grip, fighting to get away. It roared again, this time nearly destroying my eardrum. My lungs were screaming for air, and I knew it would only be so long before I blacked out. If the thing didn't eat me first, of course. That was probably the bigger threat at the moment.

What could I do? I was locked in the monster's iron grip, doomed to this watery grave in the blackest pits of hell... That's it! Blackest, dark, this thing would probably be blinded at the sight of light! But where the hell was I going to get light? I'm starting to see red spots, I need a solution now! Wait, I'm the Hero, I have the Triforce! Triforce!

I closed my eyes, and pictured myself going through a pipe like last time. Like turning on a faucet... I felt the power surge through me, and my eyes flew open. The monster screeched as the golden light radiating from my body burned its sensitive eyes. Its tentacle withdrew from my leg, and I kicked up to the surface, desperate for air. I broke surface gasping, and coughing, taking in deep breaths of air, wonderful sweet air. It was like a drug, I just wanted more. I took deeper and deeper breaths, when I was jerked downward into the freezing depth once more, this time harsher and quicker than the first, cutting me off mid breath.

The monster was mad now. I saw the eye again and this time it was accompanied by at least a hundred gleaming sharp teeth. I screamed, probably like a little girl, and frantically tried to swim up, tried to get away. The light trick wouldn't work now; I'm probably too emotional to concentrate, and the monster is smart enough to close its eye. It brought me closer and closer to its open mouth, and I lashed out, punching it right in it's gelatinous eye. It roared and started whipping me around like a rag doll. My head slammed into a wall or a rock or something, and the last of my air was forced out. My vision was blurring, fading to black... Water filled my mouth and traveled down my wind pipe...

This is it. I'm dead. I never thought it would end like this. I always planned to die of old age, not being slammed into a rock by a giant squid. I began to lose conciseness, my life slipping away... I was vaguely aware of an inhuman screech and something strong grabbing ahold of me and pulling me. I just closed my eyes and allowed the darkness to come.

_Arethusa stood over me, cupping my face in her hands. "Now is not the time, young one," she whispered into my ear. "Now is not your time." Tears slid down her cheek, landing on my bare chest. The silver drops absorbed through my skin, disappearing instantly. "You can't afford to make mistakes like that again, brave youth. No matter your differences, you need the princess and can not journey alone. Not yet. You aren't ready." I tried to sit up, tried to speak, but she pressed a finger to my lips. "Shh, do not speak. Your time here is done. Wake up, Link. Time to step back into reality..."_

My eyelids fluttered, but I still couldn't open them. It was like they were made of solid metal. I groaned and tried to move, but something heavy was on top of me. Something heavy and warm. I was freezing. I wrapped my arms around the warmth, holding it tighter to me.

"Link," I heard someone say in a strained voice. "Link! You're crushing my internal organs!"

Zelda!

My eyes snapped open, but I almost fainted when I saw Zelda half-naked and on top of me. She smiled down at me, and I tried to keep my eyes on hers, not on her chest...

"Link! Oh thank Nayru you're alive!" she cried, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Zelda..." I croaked. I coughed and tried again. "Zelda, why are you..." I trailed off as her face went beet red.

"Don't get used to it, Carstairs. I'm treating for hypothermia. You should know that you need body heat. Now how are you feeling?" she asked, brushing some hair out of my face. I smiled weakly and coughed again.

"Better... now that I'm not being drowned by a giant sea thing. Hey, you're wet," I said dumbly, grabbing a strand of her soaking hair. She smiled.

"How else do you think you got out of the water, Link?" she whispered. "I dove in to get you. I killed that monster and pulled you out."

"You- you killed that thing?" I stammered. "To save me?"

She nodded. "I'm not letting you go that easy. Now, try sitting up," she said, sliding off of me. I winced as her warmth left my skin wide open to brave the cold air. I was now aware of a throbbing in my chest, and my head hurt. I pulled myself up with struggle, but winced as a pain shot through my chest. Zelda cringed as she saw my expression.

"I'm so sorry. I had to get the water out, so I did chest compressions. I might have broken ribs, but that's better than death, right? Oh I am so sorry!" she cried, wrapping her arms around my neck. I hugged her back and tried to ignore the fact that she was only in her undergarments as I rubbed her back.

"Don't be. Did you use mouth to mouth?" I asked. Her head shot up and she glared at me.

"What kind of a question is that?" she demanded. I grinned.

"Just double-checking your first aid procedures," I said innocently. She rolled her eyes but smiled and hugged me again.

"I'm just glad you're alive! I thought- I thought I lost you for a while," she murmured into my neck. I thought about Arethusa. Maybe she did lose me for a while. Whatever the fairy did definitely saved my life.

"I'm not letting go that easy," I told her. She nodded and stood up.

"Good. Here, drink this. It will take care of your head and ribs," she told me, handing me the bottle of Kool-Aid. I grimaced and took it from her. At least its cold now and not lukewarm. I downed the remainder of the bottle and wiped my mouth on my arm. Almost instantly, the pain in my head was relieved and the throbbing in my chest receded. Despite the digesting taste of strawberries, Kool-Aid does a hell of a good job.

"I'm ready. Let's keep going please before the mother squid comes," I said, standing up much to Zelda's horror.

"Are you sure? You haven't rested..." she attempted. I shook my head.

"Insomnia club. I'm fine," I reminded her. "Hey, what did you do with my clothes? You took them off?" I asked. She glared at me again, her face red.

"Stop asking those questions! Yes, in order to treat hypothermia, the victim needs to be down to his skin. The clothes are right there, and I'll tell you that chain mail stuff was a pain in my ass to get off," she told me, grabbing her own clothes. I grinned as I pulled on the man-leggings.

"I think you liked it."

"Shut. Up."

Once we were fully dressed again, we started across the catwalk, this time moving very slowly, not talking at all, and using every ounce of energy to concentrate on not falling. I reached the door, pulled it open, and ran inside. It felt great to be on ground that was more the a foot across and not surrounded by water. Well, not entirely. The walls of the room all ran with waterfalls pouring into small draining channels on the floor. The path to the next door was grassy and lined with pristine rose bushes. It was overall a very boring, girly room. No monsters, no blood, nothing. Just flowers and waterfalls. Zelda seemed to be in a trance, staring at a rosebush. She started to slowly reach for her harp.

"What are you doing?" I asked, snapping her out of whatever she was in.

"I was- I- This place looks familiar to me," she said, fingering a rose thorn carefully. "I don't know if you feel it, but I swear I've been here before."

"I'm so happy. There's a door right there, let's go to the next room! It has to be more exciting than this," I muttered, dragging her along with me. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but snapped her mouth shut and allowed me to drag her to the door.

We entered a small, circular room. Almost instantly, the doors were barred behind us and two hybrid hyena things jumped down from the ledge they were perching on, growling and circling us. I took care of the first one with a quick slash of the blade, but the second was smarter. He kept his distance and slowly began trying to get behind me. I stopped turning to follow it, and let it get behind me. As soon as it stopped at my back and prepared to spring, I whirled around with my sword up. The cat-hyena jump straight onto my blade.

"Ew. You just shish-kabobed it!" Zelda said, cringing away from the corpse on my blade.

"Dinner?" I offered, waving it by her face.

"You're repulsive! Let's just get out of here."

She started for the other door, but it was still barred. We frowned in unison, staring at the blocked exit.

"Open sesame," I said experimentally. Surprisingly, nothing happened. Zelda glared at me.

"Look, there's a button or something on the floor," she said, walking over to stand on the thing that was rising out of the ground. Nothing happened. "Stand on that one," she commanded, pointing at a button opposite.

I did as instructed and stood on the button, feeling it sink beneath my weight. The bars slid up, revealing the door once more. I smiled and stepped off my button. The grate slid down again with a crash.

"What the-?" I yelled.

"We need weight on both ends at all times... Quick, help me drag the hyenas over here!" Zelda instructed, grabbing ahold of a leg. Nodding, I obeyed and lifted up the giant cat thing and placed one on a button as Zelda placed the other on her button. The grate slid open.

"Oh, yeah! You're a genius!" I cheered.

"Triforce of Wisdom, baby," Zelda said with a wicked grin as she pulled the door open.

This room was weird. There was no other way out, and there was only a small strip of solid stone. The rest of the room was water, clear water thank Din, and the water was filled with lilypads. Dozens and dozens of lilypads. Torches with real, orange fire lit the room, though some remained unlit and nothing appeared threatening at the time. It was completely silent.

"Lilypads!" Zelda cried. "Link, lilypads!"

I glanced at her. "Yeah, Zelda. Those are lilypads," I said slowly, like talking to a kindergartener. She shot me a dirty look.

"Goddesses, you moron! _One is under the first lilypad, first by the fire's game._ One of the key shards is in here!" she exclaimed.

And now I feel like a total idiot. I could feel a blush creeping onto my face and I looked at the floor. Why did I end up with the short end of the straw? The Dark King is the strongest man alive. He can devastate entire nations. Zelda is the wisest on the planet. She can solve complex puzzles and problems in seconds. Me, I've got the Triforce of Courage. That keeps me from worrying about making stupid decisions like sticking forks into toasters. Offer me ten Rupees and I'm all for that.

"Which is the first one? Is it the first one we saw? Because I saw that sickly one right there first," I said, pointing at a slightly yellow plant. Zelda shook her head.

"I don't think that's it. If that's it, then what is the "by fire's game" part? Maybe it means the color of fire, like yellow or orange? Or maybe a pattern..." she thought aloud, studying the countless lilypads. I frowned.

"There's not a key shard anywhere. Does that mean they're underwater?" I asked, slightly freaking out. I really hope I haven't developed aquaphobia or whatever, because that will be an issue when I need to shower.

"Probably. Want me to dive under to check?" she asked. I nodded probably too eagerly.

"Yes. You do that. I'll be here to offer mouth to mouth and hypothermia treatments if necessary!" I promised her.

She gave me a poisonous look and muttered something about 'ungrateful a sons of bitches,' then dove gracefully into the water and disappeared into the masses of floating water plants. She was under for a while, and I was starting to hyperventilate, but her blonde head popped up briefly before diving back down to the bottom. My heart rate slowed to normal and I began counting unlit torches to pass time. One all by itself, two over there, three on that wall, four right there... Ten in total.

"Nothing!" Zelda gasped as she surfaced, pulling herself out of the water. "No keys shard, no nothing! Just a bunch of really sharp lilypad roots. Did you know those things were dangerous? I cut my leg!" she told me, displaying a red stain and a rip in her little one-piece getup.

"Would it help if there was better lighting?" I asked. She shook her head, spraying water across the front of my minidress. Excuse me, I meant tunic.

"There was nothing. But what do you mean? There's no light in here," she said, looking up at the ceiling.

"The torches," I explained, pointing at the unlit fixtures. "There's ten unlit ones. They're kind of grouped weird. There's one all by itself-"

"That's it!" Zelda shrieked, grabbing my arm.

"What's it?"

"First by fire's game! Light the torches, and the shard will be underneath the single torch!" she cried, explaining it like it was the simplest concept on earth.

She dashed over to a lit torch near us and carefully grabbed a burning stick. Leaning over the water, she held the fire against the wood in the torch, soon causing a strong blaze. She leaned a little farther, stepping out onto the lilypads to light the next two torches. How those things held her, I'll never know. She repeated the process for the remaining five until they were all lit. A small blue flash rose up from the lilypad beneath the single torch first. Zelda's face lit up, and she dropped the burning stick into the water.

"It's there! It has to be!"

She jumped into the water again, creating a large splash. I sputtered, and she popped up two seconds later, a grin on her face and something in her hand. "Here," she breathed, handing me the shard. It was a piece of Zora sapphire, pressed as thin as glass and broken into a quarter. The edges were jagged and sharp to the touch.

"One down, three to go!" I cried victoriously. "Hey, what's that?" I asked, pointing across the lilypad infested waters to a shiny thing floating on one of the plants. "Is that a key?"

Zelda squinted, and I wasted no time in flailing my way across the plants towards the object. It was indeed a key, and I waved it above my head triumphantly.

"Now we can get in another door!" I exclaimed, jumping across the pads like a frog, eager to get to solid ground again. Zelda nodded and pulled the door open again, revealing the hyena corpses again. I didn't look at them once as we passed through that room, opening the door to the waterfall/rose room again.

"I still feel like I know this place," Zelda muttered, stopping midway through the room. I groaned dramatically. She was just standing there, humming a lullaby and reaching for a rose.

"You know that saying 'slow down and smell the flowers'?" I asked. She looked up.

"Yeah?"

"Well, screw the flowers and hurry the hell up! They're flowers!" I yelled, making over-exaggerated motions towards the door. She sighed and nodded, coming to join me as I opened up the door. Inching along the narrow path, I eyed the other three doors. Which one first? The key is probably made for one lock only, so it'll be trial and error.

"Which door next?" Zelda asked as we reached the circular pagoda once more.

"Well, there's only one way to make important decisions."

"And what might that be?"

"Eenie, meenie, miney, moe. Catch a tiger by the toe. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe!" My finger pointed to the door opposite from the one which we had just exited. Zelda shrugged.

"Alright. That door it is."

Luckily, they key slid right into the lock, and the chains rattled to the ground. Unluckily, the key broke as soon as the door was unlocked, eliminating our chances to discover if the locks were identical or not.

The room we stepped into was on fire. Well, not literally, but two lizard-like creatures were throwing kindling into a massive, raging blue fire in the center of the room. The door slid shut behind us, and at the sound of metal sliding on metal, the lizards snapped to attention, hissing and drawing large scythes. I gulped loudly. There were no other doors.

"One is in the fire, obscured by the flames," Zelda whispered, pointing a a blurry blue object in the center of the fire. "We have to kill these things!"

Easy for her to say! The first lizard advanced on me while the second hung back, guarding its... brother? Friend? Grandpa's uncle's cousin's sister's roommate twice removed? Either way, it was calculating my every move, watching the way I held my sword and raised my shield. These things were obviously leaps and bounds more intelligent than the other things we've faced. Zelda drew her knife and stood by my side, slightly behind me so she was protected by my shield. The offensive lizard struck out, swinging its barbed tail at us. I barely had time to raise my shield to block the attack; the thing was lightning quick.

"Make it do that again," Zelda hissed. How do I do that? I swung at it, waved my shield at it, sent telepathic messages...

"Hey, lizard! Swing your tail again!" I yelled.

I was rewarded with claws to the face. I yelled out, feeling the blood trickle down my cheek and into my mouth. It tasted bitter and coppery. I blocked an attack from its scythe, watching the way it lowered its guard right before it struck. That's good to know. It raised its tail again, signifying another strike, but as I blocked it again, Zelda swung with her knife and chopped its tail clean off. It let out an ear-piercing screech, and as it was distracted by its new injury, I stabbed it straight through the heart. The lizard crumpled around my blade, and instantly the defensive lizard leapt into the fray, its eyes bloodthirsty.

It had watched Zelda's chopping off tail bit, and it knew better not to copy the moves of its deceased... acquaintance. Its forked tongue flickered out at us, its golden eyes cold and piercing. It took a sharp swing at Zelda, who thankfully jumped behind me just in time. The blade swept through air. I took a stab at its soft underbelly, but my sword was met by its scythe. Grunting, I broke the union between our blades and pulled it into a defensive stance again. It struck out again, the scythe clanging harmlessly off my shield. It rose its arm for another attack, but I stabbed forward, twisting my blade into its stomach for good measure. It gurgled unpleasantly and sank to the ground next to its mutual friend.

I let out a breath and turned to look at Zelda, who was nodding her head approvingly.

"Not bad, Hero. Not bad. But your face worries me a bit... Does it hurt?" she asked, putting a hand on my face. When she drew it back, her fingers were red. I nodded.

"It just stings. Nothing a little Kool-Aid can't fix."

"We're out of Kool-Aid. You're gonna have to rely on natural healing this time, Linky. And what are we going to do about that key shard? It's completely in the fire!" she cried, pointing to the massive bonfire. I frowned, and circled it slowly.

"Fill the empty Kool-Aid bottle up with water. Maybe we can put it out?" I suggested. She nodded and opened the door, leaning down to reach the water.

"It's worth a try!" She filled the glass jar up with the cursed water and carried it over to the water. Overturning over the flames did nothing. Not even a sizzle. The flames just kept roaring, producing their eerie blue light. I bit my lip.

"Fill it up again."

"Link, this fire can't be put out, it must be magical-"

"Fill it up again!" I commanded. She looked at me funny but did as I asked. I looked at the fire again and took a deep breath. This is when the Triforce of Courage comes in handy.

"Now what?" Zelda asked, returning with the water.

"Put me out as fast as you can," I said, reaching for the shard. She gasped and slapped my hand away.

"No way you're doing that!" she cried. I shook her off.

"What else are we supposed to do, Princess? This isn't a puzzle, it's a bravery thing. I've got this, alright? Trust me," I said. She bit her lip and nodded, taking a step back.

I slowly inched my arm forward, closer to the dancing blue flames. Burns hurt horribly. They take forever to heal... Still I reached for the key, trying to keep my arm above the fire. Plunging my arm into the flames was inevitable, but I'd like to stall for as long as possible. Oh, Farore, this is going to be the dumbest thing I've ever done ever... Dumber than that peanut butter thing in second grade... Taking a deep breath, I shot my hand down and fumbled for the shard, waiting for the burn.

I waited, but I felt no heat. I opened my eyes and saw the flames crawling up my sleeve, yet they didn't burn through my clothes and didn't feel hot at all. I just felt a small tickle along my arm.

Zelda and I simultaneously let out sighs of relief, and I grabbed the key shard and pulled it out without an issue. The flames weren't even clinging to my clothes, they remained in the giant bonfire. I turned and smiled at Zelda.

"See? I know what I'm doing," I said, tossing the shard to her. She glared at me as she fumbled to catch it.

"Sure, because you knew that would happen. You looked like a terrified eight year old girl!" she informed me, stuffing the shard into her pocket with its twin.

"Liar. I do not look like an eight year old, nor do I have any traits that would identify me as feminine. You're just jealous you didn't think of it."

"Think of what? Making you stick your arm into a blazing bonfire? My apologies," she snorted, prancing across the thin catwalk nimbly. Damn her and her gymnastics. I clumsily jumped across the small bridge and landed on my face on the circular landing. Zelda giggled, but the smile faded from her face.

"Did we ever get a key in there?" she asked. I shook my head as I pulled myself to my feet.

"Nope. You go look, I'm not crossing that thing again," I grunted. She shrugged and disappeared back into the fire room. She returned a minute or two later with a key.

"Where was it?" I asked. It hadn't been on the ground, that's for sure. She blushed sheepishly.

"I dug through the lizard's pockets. They had it," she said, holding it out to me. I grinned and took it from her.

"You little grave robber!"

"It was not grave robbing!"

I rolled my eyes and walked carefully up to the door next to the one we were just in. Twisting the key into the lock, the chains fell and the key broke once more. I pushed the door open, but as soon as I stepped foot into the room, I knew something was wrong. I turned to walk back out, but as soon as I did, the door slammed shut and locked, separating me from Zelda.

"Hey!" I yelled.

My voice echoed around the round room. Creepy shadows flickered around the blue torches. In the center of the room stood a knight, standing as still as a statue. Is it just a suit of armor? I walked a little closer to it, and as I did, it opened its red eyes and fixed them on me. He shuddered to life and raised his sword. I barely jumped out of the way as the sword collided with the floor in the exact spot I had been standing in.

"Prepare to die, Hero," the knight rasped, pulling his sword up once again, advancing towards me, his armor clanking with every step. I drew my sword and held my shield up again, backing away slowly. I'd rather have to deal with forty lizard men!

With a loud roar, the knight swung down at me again. I raised my shield above my head, and yelled as the sword came in contact with the shield. The shock raced up my arm and I fell to the ground under the weight of his mighty blade. He raised the sword again, and I rolled away from the sword just in time. He raised it again, and I found myself pressed up against a wall near a torch. I cringed, awaiting the final blow, but it didn't come.

He backed away from me back to the center of the room, his gaze never leaving me. I frowned and stepped away from the wall, scanning his armor for any weak links or soft spots. I saw none. I was about to try banging the hilt of my sword against his head to see if I could give him a concussion, when his foot shot out and connected with my stomach. I yelled out in pain as I flew across the room, sliding on the floor. Pain coursed through my stomach and I could barely stand.

He was advancing towards me now, sword ready. Wincing, I grabbed ahold of a torch to pull myself up. The torch broke off of the wall, and I fell to the ground again. The knight however, reacted to the fire strangely. He backed away as quickly as he could in the heavy armor, the fear plain in his fiery red eyes. I smiled wickedly and attempted to pull myself up again. This time I was successful, but I stayed against the wall for support.

"You scared?" I taunted, waving the torch at him. The knight snarled, the hate clear on his face. Ignoring my stomach, I dashed forward and threw the torch at him. I was surprised to see the armor instantly catch fire and begin to melt. The knight began to scream and grow smaller, and smaller, and smaller... Until the armor was gone and it was nothing but a shriveled purple goblin, barely up to my knee. I burst out laughing.

"Ha! You're about the size of my-"

It lunged for me with a loud roar, wielding a wicked sharp dagger. I barely avoided getting my man pride cut off and received a cut on my upper leg. I winced and took a stab at the new creature, but it grabbed my sword and wrenched it away from me, leaving me defenseless. I tried to run after it, but the goblin took a swipe at me with its knife, plainly stating that I wasn't getting anywhere near my sword.

I growled at the little pest and circled it slowly, fuming as it laughed and taunted me. My stomach was hurting again. I'm going to have a huge foot-shaped bruise there! Wait, he played dirty... So I can play dirty too. I lashed out at the goblin and kicked it with all my might. It went flying across the room, landing with a thud. It started to get up, but I tackled it to the ground again.

I tried holding it still so I could go back to get my sword, but it bit my hand. I yelled out as its needle sharp teeth dug into my skin and pulled my right hand back, shaking it as it bled. The goblin cackled maniacally as I swore, but I didn't loosen my grip. This thing needed to die! But my sword was over there...

"Poor wittle boy! Needs a weapon to kill me, yes he does! Poor wittle boy!" the goblin sang as it squirmed in my grasp. I hissed at it and wrapped my arms around its throat. Its eyes widened as my grip tightened. He began turning a different shade of purple, its eyes bulged, it was foaming at the mouth, spitting on my hands, gasping, croaking, pleading... I loosened my grip. I can't do it.

"Weakling! You can't even bring yourself to kill me! Can't even strangle me!" it laughed. "Oh, you will not make it far, little boy! The battlefield is no place for you!"

"Is that so?" I asked, holding up its dagger. The goblin's eyes widened as I drove the dagger home, straight into its chest. His once struggling body went limp in my arms. I dropped the knife and collapsed next to it, holding my stomach, and looking at my bloody hand. Damn, I am going to die. He's right. I couldn't even bring myself to strangle to death the demon that attempted to kill me. If I plan to survive, I need to man up and... not hesitate, I guess.

I struggled to sit up and saw a treasure chest had materialized in the center of the room. I crawled over to it, eager to open it. A shard of the lock? Money? Candy? Money? I threw the chest's lid open. Inside... was a white stick thing. My face fell. There was a key too, but really? A magic wand? I picked it up and waved it experimentally. Nothing happened. I saw something etched into the metallic material, and squinted to read the spidery writing.

_Ignis._

"_Ignis_.." I muttered, stroking the stick.

As soon as the word left my mouth, fire burst up from the tip of the wand. I yelled and dropped it, letting it clatter to the floor still burning. Curious, I picked it up. I watched the fire burn, like a candle at the top of the stick. I twirled it and was amazed as a whip of fire followed the wand's movements. I played with the whip for a while, then I held it still and pointed it at a wall, a ball of fire built up, then launched itself at the wall, blowing the tile to bits. I laughed out of sheer delight, and twirled it again. I have to show Zelda! Wait, the door's locked...

I frowned, expecting it to have opened after I killed the knight/goblin. I saw a weird flame insignia above the door... I wonder... I aimed the wand at the flame and let the fire hit it. The flame emblem turned red, and the gate slid open. I smiled proudly to myself. Now I just have to turn it off... Looking over the wand, I found another word.

"_Deflammo_!" I yelled dramatically. The flame went out instantly. I laughed again. This is just so damn cool! I opened the door and found Zelda looking up at the ceiling, smiling to herself.

"Hey, Blondie!" I cried. She turned to face me, a smile plastered on her face.

"Link! Come here!" she gestured frantically. "I have something to show you!"

I nodded and limped across the bridge. I really wish I had Kool-Aid... My tummy hurts... "I have something to show you too," I said, joining her in the center of the pagoda. "What do you want to show me?"

She grinned and pointed up. "Look. Hidden in plain sight. We must have passed it at least twenty times!"

Hanging up on the ceiling was indeed a piece of the lock, over our heads this entire time. If only we had bothered to look up. I grinned and looked at her.

"I can get it down. Watch this. _Ignis_!" I cried. The wand flared to life, and Zelda shrieked. I aimed it up at the key shard, and the ball of fire shot out, severing whatever held it to the ceiling, and the third piece to the lock fell to the ground. "_Deflammo._" Zelda stared at me, wide-eyed.

"Where the hell did you get that? What were you doing in there?" she demanded? "Oh Din, why are you limping? Your hand's bleeding! Your leg is bleeding! You're hurt all over!" she squealed, instantly all over me. I rolled my eyes.

"Chill out, Mom, I'm fine," I said dryly. She narrowed her eyes at me.

"This is serious! You could have damaged internal organs. or demon pox, or, or the cuts could get infected..." she listed.

"Demon pox?"

"Sorry. Not demon pox. That doesn't exist. Actually, it does. But that's not the point! You're sure you're okay?" she asked.

"As sure as I've ever been," I assured her, trying not to roll my eyes. Sure, my stomach still hurts and the bite on my hand stings like hell, but that's fine. At least I'm alive... Does hell even sting? Where did that expression even start?

"...Um, you done staring into space? I don't know about you but I'd like to go in the last room to find the last lock shard," Zelda prompted, crashing my thought train. I nodded.

"Right. Door. Key. Aryll. Let's go," I said, trying to walk as normally as possible over to the bridge of the last door. By the look on Zelda's face, I'd say it's safe to bet that my 'walk' looks more like a dying dolphin-duck crossbreed. I jammed the final key into the lock and twisted, savoring the familiar clink of the chains falling to the stone and sliding into the deep water. I pushed the door open, wincing as I moved my stomach uncomfortably, and stepped into the new room.

We were immediately greeted with hisses, and four creatures ran forward, yellow reptilian eyes glowing with menace. They were roughly the size of a medium dog, and looked like lizards with four legs and a tail. Like purple scaly dinosaurs with sharp horns protruding from their heads. Something that looked like thin purple parchment was folded up by their sides.

Almost instantly, Zelda's dagger flew through the air, embedding itself in the soft neck of one of the baby dinosaurs, causing it to fall to the ground with a squeak. The other three reacted instantly and charged, horns aimed at us. I sidestepped the first attack, not wanting to be kebobed.

Drawing my sword, I stabbed one through as it passed, ignoring the sharp pain the raced through my stomach. The other two growled menacingly, their slitted eyes never leaving my blade; stained with the blood of their brother. Or sister. Zelda stabbed a third little dino as they were distractedly glaring at me. The final baby lizard let out a combination roar and meow, charging at us again with horns raised. I met it straight on, my sword splitting its skull. Zelda cringed and looked away, but I watched as the creature fell to the ground. As it was running, it had spread the pieces of parchment. They were wings.

"Now that that... beautiful display of swordsmanship is over, let's go find the '_place most important to you'_," Zelda said, looking away from the four fallen forms of the lizards. A door rested at the other end of the room, promising a final key shard. I get to see Aryll! One more little shard and I get to see my sister! I threw open the door with renewed purpose and dragged Zelda with me, taking her hand as we began walking down a long hall.

"Come on!" I said. "Just down this hall!"

We continued to walk in silence. The hallway continued, growing darker the further we traveled. I took out my fire wand.

"_Ignis_."

The small flame provided a bit of light, and we merrily went on our way. The hallway seemed to stretch for eternity. It went on, and on, darker and darker...

"I don't think it goes anywhere," Zelda said, suddenly stopping. Her voice bounced off the dank walls of the passage. I stopped and turned to look at her. The small flame from the wand cast strange shadows over her face.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that this is some sort if trap and we should get out of here now. We've been walking for miles, and we've gotten nowhere! Don't you think that's a little suspicious?" she asked, gesturing down the pitch black tunnel.

"No! It's a test, to see how far we're willing to go!" I argued. It had to be. The last piece to finding Aryll had to be here.

"Link, it's not! I have a gut feeling!"

"Why should I trust your gut feeling more than I trust mine? My gut has rights too!" I snapped indignantly.

"This isn't a civil rights joke! I'm seriously freaked out, Link!" she cried.

"Scared of the dark, are we? Need a nightlight?" I sneered.

"Stop fighting me! I don't want to argue!" she roared, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Well, I do! We have to keep going!" I yelled, my voice cracking.

"No! We don't! Why won't you-" she stopped. "Do you hear that?" she whispered.

I did. "That" was a low, rumbling sound resonating from farther down the hall. It drew louder by the second, and the floor began to rumble.

"Zelda, I think your gut is smarter than mine..." I said, backing away a bit.

I was literally knocked off my feet from the wall of water that came crashing through the hall. I was tossed underwater, and pure fear gripped my heart as I fought to the surface. I gasped for air and heard Zelda somewhere next to me. The light was gone, the wand soaking wet in my fist. I was tossed under again, being rolled and thrashed around by the artificial current. My stomach screamed in pain. Zelda was right, it had been a trap. A decoy. I surfaced and coughed and gasped, only to have my head scrape the ceiling. It was rising! All the way and we would drown! I kicked to remain above water, searching and listening for Zelda somewhere. I thought I heard someone scream my name, but I couldn't be sure over the roar of the rushing water. A current pulled me under again, this time keeping me under. I couldn't get back up. My heart was thudding in my chest, deja vu overwhelming me as I surfaced again, this time my head barely fit. Oh Din, Nayru and Farore!

"Link!" I heard a scream from nearby.

"Zelda?"

"Li-!"

The scream was cut off by water, and I was drawn under again too. Hylia help me! I struggled to free myself from the water's grasp, but was slammed straight into a wall. I yelled out in pain, watching the precious air bubbles fly to the surface. I was pinned there, and I wasn't moving anywhere else. Oh no! I'm doomed! I'm dead, I'm dying, I'm- at the door! I felt the tile against my fingers. I kicked to the surface a final time, feeling another person next to me.

"Z?"

"Oh Nayru Link! I'm going to die!" Zelda sobbed, kicking me as she struggled to stay afloat. Our mouths only fit between the ceiling and the water now, the liquid still rising.

"Stay calm! I'm going to get the door!" I told her, even though I was terrified. I think it's safe to say that I have aquaphobia.

I kicked under the water, channeling my magic to make me glow again. So far this is the only useful thing the Triforce has done for me. Zelda was next to me now too, her cheeks puffed up and her hair swirling in the currents. I waved and gestured for her to help me pull the door up. She nodded, and we both grabbed ahold. I yanked on it with all my might, and Zelda did too, but it didn't budge. The pressure kept it sealed shut. I grunted and tried again, focusing my power into lifting the door. Zelda began to glow too, and the door nudged open a crack. A crack more. That was all the water needed. It burst through the crack and the door flew open, taking Zelda and I with it. We washed up in the other room, gasping for air on the floor, which was already pooling with water.

"We need to get out!" Zelda coughed, wading to the door. I nodded and coughed, sloshing after her. She threw open the door, letting water spill out, but quickly shut it. Once we were safe on dry, wider ground, I collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily and holding my aching stomach.

"I... am officially... terrified of water..." I huffed, trying to catch my breath. There's nothing more terrifying than not being able to breathe, being in the dark, and getting pulled and dragged in any direction the water pleases. It's an awful feeling; you have no control.

"I second that notion!" Zelda wheezed, coughing up more water. I frowned and pushed some wet strips of hair out of my face.

"Well... Where is the last shard?" I asked.

There was a silence.

"Place that is important to you..." Zelda murmured, sitting up. "Important..." Her eyes widened, and she stared off into space as if in shock.

"Um, Z? Zel? Zelda?" I asked, pulling myself into an acceptable sitting position and waving my hand by her face. "You okay? Sudden heart attack?" I asked.

"That room!" she cried suddenly, scaring the living Hylia out of me. "Tha-That room! The waterfall rose one! That's it! I've been somewhere like that before! It was a garden, and Mattie and Sissy..." she trailed off. Mattie and Sissy? Who the heck are they?

"Never mind, come on!" she sprang to her feet and practically leapt all the way over to the first door we entered. I scrambled to follow her through the door. She stood in the center of the room, surrounded by rosebushes, then took out Aryll's harp.

"What are you-"

She began to play, a soft, sweet melody consisting mainly of the same three notes. It was haunting yet beautiful, and I felt peaceful listening to it. Maybe even sleepy. The pretty notes rang through the chamber, the last note dying softly; melting into the rush of the waterfalls. At first, nothing happened and I was ready to call her crazy, when suddenly, particles of light from the room condensed and formed the last blue key shard, landing delicately on the floor by Zelda. I blinked in disbelief.

"How did you-"

She cut me off and grabbed the key. "We can't waste time, you want to see Aryll, right? We have to go," she said, looking me straight in the eye. I nodded, still a little wary of the song-magic she just preformed. I'm a little scared she'll harp me to death or something.

We dashed over to the big door, and Zelda produced all four parts of the lock. I helped her hold them in place. With a flash, the full medallion suddenly became whole and pulsed with a steady blue light.

"_Congratulations, Chosen. You have succeeded in rebuilding the key. However, proceed with caution, as great evil lurks ahead. I wish you luck, and you have my blessing..." _I heard Arethusa's voice from above. I sighed. I don't like the sound of 'great evil.'

"Shall we?" I asked Zelda. She grinned back.

"We shall."

I touched the newly fixed key stone, and pushed on it. Instantly, the stone doors began to rumble and slowly slid open receding into the wall. The path was dark ahead. Another hall. I shuddered, but still stepped into the darkness. At least this hall was lit was torches, though they were spaced far apart. Our footsteps echoed on the tile floor, and the air grew colder as we advanced. Suddenly, a cold laugh rang through the hall. I froze, my hand going instantly to my sword. All was silent. Then a beautiful, clear voice began to sing to us.

"_Home is behind, the world ahead,  
>And there are many paths to tread.<br>Through the shadow to the edge of night  
>Until the stars are all alight.<br>Mist and shadow, cloud and shade.  
>All shall fade.<br>All shall fade."_

The gorgeous song was followed by another cackle. We arrived in a dimly lit round room, sporting ornate pillars around the circumference of the room. Across from us, stairs led up to a door which I presumed led to the spring, and hopefully Aryll. Standing on the stairs was a shadowy figure, their face masked by a cloak. They were plainly female, judging from the voice and the curves. And they seemed vaguely familiar.

"Who are you?" Zelda asked boldly. The figure merely giggled and whistled, a shrill noise cutting through the chamber. The doors shut behind us, and a noise was heard from the shadows of the room. The mystery girl laughed again and snapped her fingers. I watched in awe as she disappeared in a flurry of black squares, evaporating into thin air.

"Have fun!" her voice called out. And she was gone.

Have fun with what? An ear-splitting roar echoed through the room, and I received my answer. The floor shook as something began coming towards us, and I saw massive red eyes from the shadows. The creature stepped into the light and roared again. My eyes widened. It was a dragon.

"They're not so funny anymore!" Zelda squeaked, drawing her dagger.

This dragon showed no clear weak point. It was covered head to toe with hard purple scales, and it's wings weren't parchment-like, but almost like a thin sheet of metal. Its eyes glittered like hard rubies, and its teeth were like a thousand swords. It reared back, and swung out at us. I dove away, but not quite fast enough. My foot was caught beneath its head as it struck. I winced and dragged myself up again as the dragon glared down at us, eager for bloodshed. Or dinner. It opened its mouth and inhaled, and I jumped away, expecting fire. But it sprayed water. I blinked, not quite sure how to react to that total anticlimactic moment.

"Ha! A water dragon," Zelda giggled. "It's as useless as a-" she stopped and screamed as a drop of the water hit her arm. "Dinssake! Holy Farore and Nayru, its scalding! My skin has blisters!" she howled, clutching her arm. The dragon looked down, satisfied it had caused pain. But that was only one drop. Think about a full on spray to the face...

The dragon roared and began stomping towards me, tail swinging and ready to strike. I was knocked off my feet by its swaying body part and was crashed against a wall. The pain in my stomach flared to a climax and I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming in pain, wincing as it drew blood. What was I going to do? This thing was indestructible! I opened its mouth wide to spray again, and I threw myself out of its range of fire- er, water. Zelda jogged over next to me, an expression of panic on her face.

"What now?" she asked.

"I'm working on it!" I yelled as we dove away to avoid a tail-slash. The tip of the tail was covered in deadly looking spikes. This thing just gets better and better!

The dragon was growing impatient. We hadn't died yet. It reared up onto its hind legs, front legs ready to crush us as they came down. I rolled between its legs, getting tossed to the floor as the feet crashed back down, sending a shockwave through the floor. I coughed in the cloud of dust, pulling myself to my feet. I was between the beast's legs; its attention was focused on Zelda. I dashed out from under it, grabbing my wand as I did so. I had an idea.

"_Ignis!_" I cried. The wand flared to life. The dragon bellowed again, its cries sounding like thunder. It arched its back and opened its mouth, preparing to spray... I shot a ball of fire straight down the dragon's throat. The creature roared in pain, and it staggered to the floor. I ran over and started slashing repeatedly at the fallen dragon's open mouth. It cried out with every strike, but soon snapped at my blade and pulled itself up again. Din dammit! It stormed at me with fresh anger, its eyes telling me all.

_You're dead, tiny human... I want to see you crushed and taste your blood on my tongue..._

I dodged another swing of the tail, but Zelda wasn't as fortunate. I heard her scream as a spike grazed her side. I winced and started to run to her, but I was caught with the backlash of the tail and was thrown to the floor.

"Zelda!"

The dragon advanced on her, seeming to grin evilly as it towered over her. Her pale face was still determined. I saw the flash of her dagger fly through the air, and the dragon screeched in pain. It turned back near me, and I saw the crystal hilt sticking out from the demon's left eye. It ran towards me, stumbling blindly, and I rolled out of the way to avoid its rampage. It crashed into the wall, roaring madly, and I saw this as my chance. I sprang up, grabbing my wand. It arched back to let spray fly everywhere, but I sent fire down its throat once more. The dragon shrieked and fell with a crash. I ran over and slashed at the mouth again, hoping the pattern wasn't too predictable...

The dragon leapt up, roaring and flailing wildly. It began to spread its wings in a fruitless effort to escape, but I sent a burst of fire through both wings, causing it to crash to the ground a final time. It still screeched horribly; it still fought to stay alive.

"One more time, Link!" I heard Zelda cry. "Just one more time!"

I dashed over to the fallen dragon and aimed the wand straight at its mouth. Its remaining good eye was full of fear and pleaded me to stop. It was begging for mercy. I grinned cruelly.

"Check and mate," I whispered, sending a large ball of flame down the dragon's throat. It let out a final deafening scream, then it fell silent. The beast was no more.

"_Deflammo_," I breathed, extinguishing the flame. I ran over to Zelda, who was clutching her side and smiling grimly."Are you okay?" I demanded.

"Geez, Mom, I'm fine," she mumbled with a giggle. "I'll be okay, Link. It's a scratch. Let's find Aryll," she said, staggering towards the door.

I looked back once more at the fallen body of the dragon. I killed that. I did. Me, Link Carstairs. Hero of Hyrule is back, bitches. I turned and followed Zelda outside. I'm not sure what I was expecting, maybe billions of fairies, dancing girls, streamers, lights, something, but I was surprised to see a regular old pool of water when we arrived outside. Whit pillars were arranged in a circle, and trees and a rock cliff obscured it from the rest of the forest. There was no sign of Aryll or any light spirit. My heart sank hard and fast.

"Wha?" I asked, spinning in a circle, looking for someone, something.

"This is strange," Zelda mumbled, wading in the spring. Her necklace began to glow.

She gasped, watching as the small Zora's scale grew brighter and brighter. The glowing reached its brightest point, and it exploded in a shower of light. A golden burst swirled around the spring, circling and circling until... It burst, transforming into a shining golden snake. I screamed and stepped back, terrified of the giant creature. I put a hand on my sword, but stopped as it chuckled, a deep sound that boomed through the spring.

"No need to fear, young Hero. I am Lanayru, spirit of this spring. You have traveled a long way to free me, and for this I thank you," the snake said its (his?) blank eyes locked on my terrified ones. I nodded.

"Uh-huh."

He turned to an equally scared Zelda. "You have carried me around your neck for quite some time now. I was imprisoned by a servant of darkness," it/he told her. She nodded dumbly.

"Why- why did they imprison you?" she asked. The creature sighed.

"I refused to disclose the location of the Triforce to her. She became angry and sealed me in that scale. I suspect she was going to do that anyway, as I am a direct messenger to the goddesses and know of all occurring in my territory. I believe my brothers have been overtaken as well," the creature told us. So it _is_ a guy!

"Where's my sister?" I blurted. Lanayru turned back to me. There was a brief silence before he answered.

"She has already come before you. She left to Faron Providence, just south of here."

My mouth hung open. "She left?"

"I'm afraid so, my boy. You missed her by minutes. But she is safe and well. There is no need for you to worry," he said. No need to worry! My baby sister is running around through monster infested caves and forests all by herself! Alone! Of course I'm going to worry!

"I- we have to find her!" I cried, turning back to the door from which we entered. "We have to find her now!"

"Hold on, young Hero. I have advice to give you."

I stopped and turned reluctantly, only for the fact that he could probably disintegrate me on spot if he wanted to. Otherwise I would have hightailed it to Faron.

"You need to proceed with caution. The Dark King has spies everywhere, always watching. Those you know and trust may be spies for the King. Trust no one. Monsters now lurk everywhere, even on the once safe fields and in the usually cheerful forests. Be on guard. Travel to Faron Providence after your sister. She will be traveling to Faron Spring up through Faron Woods. To access the temple before the spring, you must travel through the dark Lost Woods. Be careful there, it's named for a reason. Find Aryll, free Faron. He'll instruct you from there," Lanayru told us. Zelda nodded.

"Can you transport us out of here?" she asked. The snake nodded.

"I shall heal your wounds and send you on your way. Best of luck to you," he said. The water glowed, and I felt light shoot up my body. I felt revived and healthy, the pain instantly gone. The last thing I saw was Lanayru watching us intently before we were lifted up and warped out of the Spirit's Spring.

"May the goddesses bless you both..."

* * *

><p>As soon as they had left, a small girl peeked out from behind one of the many pillars. She had been watching the whole time, waiting for them to leave so she could do what she needed to. Seeing the two Chosen were gone, she stepped out of hiding and walked to the water.<p>

"Lanayru," she greeted the mighty spirit.

"Hylia," he acknowledged, bowing before the goddess. "At your service, Your Grace."

"Thanks for... covering for me. It's better if the Hero didn't know I was here," the master said to her servant. He bowed his head.

"Of course, Your Grace. He is off to find you in Faron."

Hylia smiled sadly. She longed to see the Hero, longed to hug him and cry for him and apologize to him, but she knew that she couldn't. She needed to focus on her task.

Glancing back at the tall woman in the shadows, accompanied by a fairy, she stepped into the water, slipping off the simple white dress she was wearing. The water glowed gold, and she submerged herself in it, feeling the power surge through her. She had arrived earlier that day to find the spring abandoned, drained of its power. She knew instantly that it was the Dark King's doing. Intuition told her to wait, and she hid when the Hero emerged from the temple with the Princess. Lanayru had been trapped in the Princess's necklace, sealed by the Dark King. She would have to follow the pair from now on.

She surfaced once again, the cleansing ritual complete. She needed one last thing.

She scuffed her toes around in the sand, searching, kicking up the silt on the bottom of the spring... Something flashed to her left. She snatched it up quickly, rinsing it off and holding it up to the sun. It was a Zora sapphire, set with gold. But it wasn't any Zora sapphire. It was _The _Zora Sapphire. She smiled to herself as she held the gem up to the light. One object down, three to go.

* * *

><p><strong>Ick, I don't like the last half as much. I was rushing to get it done! Holy twelve thousand words, batman! That's a TON!<strong>

**1. I skipped map and compass. Those didn't make sense anyway.**

**2. Ignis is some form of fire in Latin, and deflammo is extinguish.**

**3. I know this is technically the water temple, but I wanted a fire wand.**

**4. The song the 'servant' sings is from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King called All Shall Fade. It's gorgeous.**

**5. Yes, the legitimate treatment of hypothermia is taking your clothes off and lying on top of them for body heat. I'm not making this stuff up!**

**Ugh, I didn't like this one. Sigh. Oh well. Please read and review! Love y'all!**

**~Leila**

**And if you're bored, I highly recommend the stories _Antiquis Viam _by anidnawind. I beta read for her, and I love the story! And _Insomnia _by tikitikirevenge. Tha one's awesome too :)**


	20. Chapter 19

**Ugh, I am so behind in this. I have sports, piles of homework the size of Mt. Everest, and writer's block! Yay!**

**Kyle: Thanks for all of your reviews! Sorry I haven't replied... You don't have an account (get one :)) and I've already published the chapters you're reviewing! Thanks so much, though!**

**MistyMilkshakeBoss: I'm glad you got an account! Publish stuff so I can read it! ;)**

**Thanks to Ms. Carstairs, Kindleh, DarkOppressor, anon, boredman46, Kamil the Awesome (and I know right? I love torch rooms!), Lauparisi, Kirkysaurus, ToLazyToThinkOfABetterName (haha love that name!), Zolias, ShadowNinja1011, Sheikagal, BlueMonkeyDoll, Tetraforce and ZeldaPhoenixLegend.**

**You guys keep me writing! Seriously, thank you! I have the worst habit ever of getting bored with a project and quitting, but you guys motivate me! Thank you sosososososososososo very much!**

**And this has a few elements from my oneshot Mother's Love, but they're pretty self-explanatory.**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>Chapter Nineteen (Zelda)<p>

The light cleared and we found ourselves outside the majestic gates of Domain again. I blinked, trying to clear my vision and stop the dull buzzing in my head. Link was next to me, glaring at the city in front of us.

"When he said, 'Yeah, I'll transport you there,' you did assume he meant to Faron, right? That wasn't just me?" he asked.

"Yeah, that would have been ten times more convenient," I said, running my fingers through my tangled hair and glancing around the town again. It was sunset; we'd been in the temple for a day. It's so strange to think that while we almost died on multiple occasions, life went on. People went about their normal business in Domain, unaware of two teenagers tramping around through water-dragon infested caves. But the thing that was bothering me most was that song. That voice in particular. It was so familiar, like I should know it. A better example would be I've heard it, but I've never heard it singing. Even her last words were muffled and distorted so I couldn't identify the speaker. It's strange.

"Well now what? We have to walk to goddessdamned Faron Woods?" Link asked. "I seriously might rather go swimming with three giant squids. Just kidding I take that back."

"There's such thing as transportation," I suggested, gesturing towards the city. "We could maybe eat something and rent a boat or something."

"A boat ain't gonna get us to Faron Woods, sweetheart," Link snapped. I rolled my eyes and started walking through the gates.

"Whatever. I'm getting food," I said, not looking back as I journeyed into the crowded yet quiet and organized city. Link was soon at my side, as I expected.

"Hey, wait up. We goin' to Lulu's? I liked her, she was a kindred spirit. Like Telma," Link said as we maneuvered through the busy streets. It was late rush hour, and the final people were going home after a long day's work. How nice would that be. They get to go home, kiss their spouses and hug their children, then sit down to a nice home cooked meal. I felt a little pressure in my chest. I miss home. I want my Papa. I want him to hold me in his arms and tell me it's okay. That everything is fine because Papa is there.

"Do you remember where Lulu's is? Last time we were here it was way early and no one was on the streets," I said, pausing on a sidewalk to look around.

People walked briskly through the crowds, talking on phones or holding briefcases. Vendors called out from their stalls, advertising jewelry or other fine objects. Children ran through the street laughing and chasing a frog while their mother's scrambled after them, desperate not to lose them in the crowd. Everything is just so... average. Normal. How can everything still be so happy after what we just went through? How can the Dark King be lurking out in the shadows waiting to strike when everything is so normal? How do I know this is real?

I look over at Link. Though he'll never admit it, he's exhausted. It's all in his eyes. They lack their usual cheer and shine. Instead, they're dull and... knowing. His eyes have seen to much, and it shows. It makes me want to drop my gaze, and I wonder if my eyes look like that too. What happened in that temple was terrifying, but I'm guessing that was only a taste of what the Dark King will throw at us. It's a changing experience, and I doubt that we'll ever be the same if we make it out alive. It's long one, long nightmare that I try so hard to wake up from but it just keeps going and going. I guess that's the difference between dreaming and reality.

"Well, we don't have to go to Lulu's," Link said, turning to me. "We could find some other-" he stopped and craned his neck like he was listening for something.

"What are you-"

"Shh! Listen!" he hissed. I rolled my eyes and tried hearing whatever he found so interesting. I heard constant murmur of the crowd, the occasional loud voice rising above the standard noise level. Children laughed, a street group played a sad song on a harp, doors opened and closed. Your average city sounds, nothing out of the normal.

"Hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what? I hear a lot of things right now!" I snapped irritably.

"The crying! Don't you hear that?"

I strained to listen. Hylians are supposed to have naturally better hearing, due to our long ears. Legends tell our ears are longer to hear the voices of the goddesses, and Impa always told me to listen after I prayed every night. I never hear them, but I listen anyway. I can't even hear whatever Link is talking about now.

"No, I don't hear that. I think that you're crazy or I need hearing aids," I said decisively, turning back to him. He shook his head.

"It's the second one, because I definitely hear sad whimpering. Come on, this way!" he said, taking off down the street, shoving through crowds. I watched after him gaping for a moment before snapping back to the present and dashing after him.

"Hey, wait up! Elf boy! Grasshopper! String bean! Hey!" I cried. He stopped on the street corner and whirled around to face me.

"Did the words 'string bean' just come out of your mouth to describe me?" he demanded.

"Indeed it did, Mister Jolly Green Giant. But you're too short to be the Jolly Green Giant. Maybe Sprout," I said, flicking the tip of his hat over his face. He glared at me and blew his hat out of his eyes.

"Call me that again, and I'll impale your pretty little head on my sword," he whispered, tugging a strand of my hair. I grinned deviously.

"But you wouldn't really."

"Course' not. You're my sexy sidekick. What would I do without a sexy sidekick?" he asked, craning his neck to listen for the crying again. This time I could hear faintly what he was talking about; a soft crying sound accompanied by the occasional "Sis?"

"It's that way," I said, pulling him down an alley. Even the alleys in Domain are so... clean. Much unlike the salty, dirty alleys of Castle Town where drunk sailors attempted to sell you homemade ecstasy pills and whores called to you from the shadows. Well, not to _me_, but to my father or any other male that happens to walk past.

We emerged from the shady alleyway into a small square with a fountain in its center. A beautiful Zora girl holding some sort of spiky gem stood frozen in stone as the fountain's centerpiece. Oddly, she looked very similar to Ruto. A small girl of probably eight sat by the fountain, sobbing softly into the clear water and clutching a toy bow, a quiver of suction cup arrows slung over her shoulder. Her radiant red hair was dipping into the water, and she looked devastated.

"Hey, are you alright?" Link asked softly, going to kneel next to her. The girl looked up immediately, her expression going from sad to angry.

"You're a stranger," she hissed, her word spoken with a slight Southern accent . "My sister said I'm not supposed to talk to strangers!"

He blinked, obviously not expecting her to have said that. I bit back a snicker.

"Um, yes. Correct. Stranger talking is bad. So is taking candy from strangers. But I have no candy, and if I did have some, I wouldn't be giving it to you! Anyway, that's beside the point. Are you okay?" he asked. She looked at him, an amused expression on her face as if he entertained her.

"No," she sniffed. "I was shopping with my sister, and I stopped to get some target practice. You always need target practice, just in case aliens come to steal your cows. I stopped, but she didn't see me stop, and by the time I- by the time she- I got lost and I can't find her!" the girl sobbed into Link's shoulder, throwing her small arms around his neck. He patted her reassuringly. It surprises me to see someone so... Linkish and sarcastic and mean being so good and nice with children.

"Can I help you find her? I'm sure she's looking for you too," he assured her. She looked at him again, bottom lip quivering and her blue eyes still shining with tears.

"Can you? Will you?" she asked hopefully, wiping her nose on the orange bandana she wore around her neck.

"You bet your buttons I will," Link said with a bright but obviously forced smile. "Climb aboard," he said, gesturing for her to hop on his shoulders. She did so willingly, squealing with glee as he stood up to his full height, lifting her up.

"Thank you so much Mister Green Guy! I'm Romani," she introduced herself, leaning down into his face. They were so close, their noses touched. I giggled and followed them back towards the main town.

"Well, Romani, I'm Link. Pleased to meet you," he said, ducking down under a small archway to avoid hitting her head on the stone. "And that chick following us is Zelda."

"Nice to meet you too, chick named Zelda," Romani chirped, turning to grin at me. I grinned back, making a mental note to lecture Link later on how 'chick' is a derogatory term.

We winded through the crowds, going nowhere in particular. Link shifted Romani's weight and glanced up at the girl perched on his shoulders. "Holler if you see your sister," he said.

She nodded. "Aye aye, Cap'n!" she replied. Something flashed in Link's eyes, a sharp sadness that quickly disappeared. "Thanks for the shoulder ride," Romani said. "I can see for miles up here! Miles and miles!"

Link forced a laugh. "No problem, kiddo. Shoulder rides are the best. My makuahine-" he stopped abruptly, clamping his mouth shut like he just said a forbidden word. Makuahine. I've never heard him say that before.

"Your what? What's a ma-kua-hine?" Romani asked, carefully saying the word just as Link had. Link gazed stonily ahead, something in his eyes that I'd never seen before.

"...My mother. It means 'mother' in Setian," he finally said softly, the drone of the crowd almost blotting out his words.

"On Outset? Did you live there? Was it nice?" Romani asked, looking back down at Link.

"It was beautiful," he replied simply. "No other place compares."

Romani giggled. "I wish I lived on an island. Beaches and oceans and... Pirates! I could be a pirate!" she cried, waving one of her plunger-arrows like a sword. "Did you ever meet any pirates on Outset?" she asked.

"Nope. Never wanted to."

"I hope I do. I want to do something big when I grow up. I wanna fight, I wanna battle, I want to be an adventurer," Romani sighed wistfully, resting her head on top of Link's. His reply was so quiet that only I heard it.

"Sometimes adventuring isn't all it's cut out to be."

We were back at the main square, and I could see the pink awning of Lulu's in the distance, Of course _now _we find it. The crowd had thinned now, and only a few stragglers remained of the work crowd. Now the people mainly consisted of couples heading out for the night, to a dinner to to hit the clubs. They were laughing and smiling and holding hands... I resisted the urge to slip my hand into Link's. I miss that feeling now.

"This place looks familiar... HEY! I see my sister! Cremia! CREMIA!" Romani screamed, waving frantically and bouncing up and down on Link's shoulders, trying to flag the attention of her sister. A taller, obviously older redheaded girl whirled around at the sound of her name. Her blue eyes were filled with fear and worry, and there were faint tear streaks on her cheeks. She instantly broke out in a smile once she saw her sister, and Link let Romani down to go to her sister. The two met in a hug, laughing an crying. I smiled. This was one of those moments where I wished I had siblings. The moment was ruined the moment the older girl opened her mouth.

"Oh, Romi! I was so scared for you! Don't ever do that again," her sister, Cremia, said as she stroked Romani's mop of red hair.

"I was scared too, Mia! I was lost an' I couldn't see you! But Link helped me find you," she said, turning to smile at Link. She ran over and hugged him, her head barely recaching his stomach. He smiled and hugged her back. Cremia stood and smoothed her hair, sticking her hand out to Link. She was pretty, I noticed. Really pretty.

"Link, is it? I'm Cremia, owner of Romani Ranch. And you've met Romani. I can't thank you enough for finding her! Is there anything I can do?" she asked, in a slightly flirtatious manner, I might add. I frowned.

"We're looking for a fast way of transport to Faron Woods. Can you help us with that?" I asked, my voice dripping with sugar. Cremia smiled, as if noticing me for the first time.

"Oh! Who might you be?" she asked, in her little "I'm an innocent country girl," way. I smiled.

"I'm Zelda. Link's _girlfriend_." Link's eyebrows shot up and I shrugged. I'm not sure what our current relationship status is, not after all of... that. But I'm savoring the look on Cremia's face now.

"Oh. Well, nice to meet you," she said.

"No, really. The pleasure is all mine."

"Well, um... Is there anything I do for you? Anything at all?" Cremia asked, turning back to Link. The flirtatious tone had crept back into her voice. Little whore, she's still after him even after what I said!

"We're trying to get to Faron Woods over land... And fast. Know any way we could do that?" Link asked. Cremia and Romani nodded simultaneously.

"Go by horse!" Romani chimed. "There's no faster way!"

Cremia laughed. "And fortunately, we own quite a few horses. Why don't y'all follow me back to the ranch, and I can get you saddled up," she said with a wink at Link. He laughed and agreed. I was fuming. That didn't sound like 'Southern hospitality' to me. That sounded like an invitation to come to bed.

We followed the two redheads out of the south gate of Domain and I hung towards the back with Romani, listening to Cremia and Link talk. I was half-heartedly listen to Romani tell me how she was going to be an alien hunter when she grew up, but my main focus was on glaring at Link and Cremia. We arrived at the ranch fairly quickly; thank Hylia it wasn't too far away. She was batting her eyelashes so much I was ready to puke. What part of "girlfriend" does this chick not understand? Oh Din, I said chick. I must be really unraveled.

"Well, here we are. Home sweet home. Do you want to come in for something to eat first, or would you rather be on your way?" she asked, sounding rather hopeful about coming inside. Link smiled.

"As much as I'd love to come in, we really have to be going. Can we just get a horse?" he asked politely. Cremia looked slightly crestfallen but nodded. I grinned inwardly. Take that, little boyfriend stealing slut!

"Sure. I'll give you are best. She's actually our newest. We found her one morning in with the cows with an injured ankle, and Romani's been real keen on nursing her back to health. Over here," she gestured for us to follow her into some wooden horse stables.

"It smells like horse," I said, wrinkling my nose.

"Well, what did you expect? Showers of lilacs falling from the ceiling while beautiful maidens sprayed perfume into the air?" Link asked. Cremia laughed, a horrible loud high-pitched noise, and I turned beet red.

"You know what? You're an asshole. A big asshole!" I snapped, ignoring a wide-eyed Romani. Cremia leaned over and whispered in Link's ear. She was probably trying to make it all discreet, but I could clearly hear every single word that came out of her wretched little mouth.

"She seems like she's holding you down. Is she abusive? You could do better, Link. I think she's... unstable."

"Nah. She's... like that sometimes I guess," Link replied, shaking his head. I was shaking all over, refraining from tackling her to the ground.

"Still, if you have issues, you know where to come," she said with a wink, opening one of the stables. Inside was a beautiful young mare with a chestnut coat and a flowing white mane. She regarded us warily, her onyx black eyes taking every single one of us. I made eye contact with the beautiful creature, and for a second I though she smiled at me.

"We haven't named her yet, so I guess you'll get the pleasure. She'll get you all the way to Faron; she's the fastest we have," Cremia said, reaching over to stroke the horse. The mare shuddered away, nipping at her fingers with a snort. Cremia jerked back and laughed nervously.

"She's pretty odd around new people," she explained, smiling at Link.

"Horsey doesn't like Mia," Romani whispered to me. "She only likes me."

I smirked and reached over to pet the horse's velvety muzzle. Unsurprisingly, she didn't try to bite me but eyed me calmly and nuzzled my arm. Cremia was red enough to match her hair.

"Well, thanks, but we should be going, shouldn't we _sweetie_?" I said, forcing as much venom as possible into the last word. Link blinked and nodded.

"Yep. Yeah, we're behind schedule and all... So we should, ah, go," he stuttered, avoiding my gaze. Finally, the moron realizes something is wrong! Boys are so... such idiots!

"Alright. Romi, saddle her up. I'll go make you a pack for your journey," Cremia told him, glancing at Romani before disappearing from the stables. Romani obliged to her sister's request and began attempting to heave a saddle bigger than she was off a hook on the wall. I suppressed a smile and took the leather piece from her.

"Let me do it. Thank you," I told her.

"You know how?" Link asked. I shot him an icy glare.

"Yes, I do. My father used to take me riding a lot," I replied coolly.

"She's mad at you!" Romani sang with a giggle.

I ignored this and threw the saddle over the horse. I began trying to fasten the straps over her stomach, but she puffed out her stomach, making her bigger than she actually was. I rolled my eyes. As soon as I tie the straps, she'll let out the air and the saddle will be too loose. Oldest trick in the book. I kneed the horse in the stomach, and she sharply exhaled, allowing me to properly tighten the straps so the saddle was secure. The mare glared at me, and I smiled, stroking her mane.

"Maybe I should just knee Link in the stomach too," I whispered quietly as I ran my hand through her well-groomed mane. "That would make me feel _much_ better."

Cremia returned holding a saddlebag and wearing a stupid grin on her face. Maybe it's just me, but I think she brushed her hair and put makeup on too. Oh for Din's sake! I glared daggers at her as she beamed at Link and fastened the bag to the saddle.

"I packed some food and things for y'all. You look like you're doing something important," she giggled, looking up at Link, who smiled back at her. Gag me with a spoon. I swung myself up onto the saddle, throwing my backpack to Link and taking ahold of the reins.

"Thanks so much, Cremia. You've been a great help," Link said, hugging her briefly. White hot anger flared through me, and I urged the horse forward.

"I'm leaving, loverboy," I said sharply. "I don't care if you come or not."

Hurt flashed across his face, but he stopped the horse and climbed on behind me. "Thanks again, Cremia. Bye Romani!" he called. She opened her mouth to say something, but I didn't wait for her reply. I spurred the mare forward and we galloped out of the stables and away from that damn ranch as fast as I could make the horse go. Link's arms were around my waist, and once I might have been excited or happy, but now I wanted him to get his damn hands off me.

"Are you okay? You seem mildly... Upset," he said carefully. I pulled the horse to a complete stop. Breathing heavily, I turned around and slapped him across the face. Shock and hurt played all over his features.

"What in the name of fuck was that for?" he yelled.

"For pretending I didn't exist for a whole hour! For flirting with that redheaded ranch bitch! For not noticing her seductive attempts, and frankly not giving a shit about how I felt! You're lucky I didn't give you worse!" I cried, turning away from him. I felt him stiffen behind me, and I expected him to hit me back. I closed my eyes and waited for the blow. Instead, I got a hug. His warm arms wrapped around my waist and he lay his head on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Zelda. I didn't realize you saw it all like that. I was just trying to be friendly, and I didn't notice if she liked me, because honestly the only girl I notice or care about is you. I'm really sorry," he whispered into my neck.

I sat in silence for a moment, taking in his words, then asked the standard jealous girl question. "Was she prettier than me?"

"Course' not. I never liked redheads, and you my dear are so blindingly stunning, every girl is dim in comparison. Whoa, I sounded poetic. I should write that down," he mused, taking his head off my shoulder but leaving his arms around my waist.

"Okay. I'm... sorry for hitting you and being a stupid jealous girl. That wasn't my proudest hour," I mumbled, starting the horse back into a trot again. Link shrugged.

"I haven't really been all smiles and sunshine either lately. It's fine by me."

I grinned and spurred the horse again, sending us galloping down the street through the woods. Faron would only take us two hours to reach on horseback, and maybe less if we didn't take any breaks. I could do it, but I have a feeling Link will be complaining about the saddle making his butt sore. The wind was flying through my hair, and even if the evening had started out bad, it was perfect now. The sun was finally settling in the distance; leaving the horizon gold and the rest of the sky a mysterious indigo, dotted with a few shining stars.

"Hey, you know what this reminds me of? Jet-skiing. Wind, going fast... Hey! I know what to name the horse!" Link exclaimed.

"What?"

"Jet-ski!"

"...You're kidding, right? That's the dumbest name ever! Here, Jet-ski! C'mere girl! Giddyup Jet-ski!" I mocked. Leave it to Link to want to name a horse 'Jet-ski.'

"Actually, I wasn't kidding, but when you say it like that, fine. What about... Epona. Y'know, the name of the jet-ski?" he suggested. Epona. It had a nice ring to it. I nodded.

"I like Epona. I like Epona a lot," I told him.

"The perfect name for this lio."

"For this what?"

"I said horse!" he snapped indignantly. His grip had tightened around my waist, and his hands were shaking very slightly.

"You most certainly did not!" I responded, leading Epona around a hole in the road. I don't want her breaking her ankle.

"It means horse, okay? I didn't mean to! It- it slipped," he whispered, sounding scared.

"Didn't mean to what? Speak your native language? I honestly don't care if you speak Setian. I think it's pretty cool," I told him.

"No, it's... It's not that. It's complicated. I just don't like to," he said, shifting in the saddle. The butt-complaining will start very soon. I can just tell.

"Fine. Speak Hylian like the rest of us boring people." I steered Epona off the normal path and began cutting through the forest. It should be quicker. Link pulled the map out of the backpack an began studying it intently.

"There's a clearing about sixty miles from here. Farore, I hate the Woods of Mystery. Even the freaking map is hard to read," he swore, rolling the old piece of parchment back up into a tube shape.

"And there's ferocious wolves with a desire for Hylian blood," I added.

"What's next? Monkeys and spiky, spinning turtles?" Link asked sarcastically. "I'll bet money that one of those two things will show up."

"How much?"

"Fifty thousand imagi-dollars."

"Imagi-dollars?"

"Money of the imagination! Cool, huh?"

"...You're weird."

"And you're mean. I believe we've established this," he sighed, shifting in the saddle again. Here it comes. "Zelda, my butt-"

"Stop right there! There will not be one complaint out of you, mister! You're lucky we're stopping at your little clearing and not pressing through! I don't care if your butt is numb, broken and bleeding, keep it to yourself!" I told him.

"Well then. You've had that planned, haven't you?" he asked suspiciously. I shrugged and grinned.

"Maybe I did, green bean."

"Stop calling me that! My clothes aren't that bad! So what if they look like they were made for a very gay cross dresser who loved tights, but they're... Yeah, they're bad. Shut up about them, Miss Skin-Tight full body suit!" he rebutted.

"At least I have the figure to make it look good," I reminded him.

"Touche, my friend. Ha, can you imagine a _guy_ wearing that? It'd be so obvious! I mean, you'd see his junk straight through-"

"Ugh, do boys always bring their penises into conversation?" I asked with a small smile.

"Of course! They're our pride and joy," Link teased, nudging me a little. "Good Nayru, my ass hurts," I heard him mutter. I laughed out loud. Why can't it stay like this; both of us with normal moods, no immediate threats, nowhere to be... I sighed heavily and kept Epona going. It's not like you can run from destiny.

"How far are we from this clearing of yours?" I asked.

"Thirty miles. Why, is your ass in excruciating pain too?"

"Um, no. I just haven't slept in 24 hours and I'd like to get a little shut-eye," I responded. "Also, Epona needs rest too. The poor girl can't carry us forever."

"I would make a witty dragon joke, but I no longer find those funny," Link said sadly.

I don't either. I absently touched the scar where the dragon's spiked tail had raked across my stomach. Despite the spirit's healing, it was still tender. What would have happened if the spirit hadn't healed us? Would I have died? I think more of that red potion would be wise to buy.

The rest of our trip was continued in silence. There wasn't much to talk about. All conversation attempts usually died within a few words. I just find it weird and hard to have a normal, decent conversation. I couldn't do it, and Link was no better. Unless it had to do with saving the world or beheading monsters, no conversation we started would liftoff and soar. We arrived at the clearing in the woods, and Link half-slid half-jumped half-threw himself off Epona.

"Good goddesses, that was torture!" he moaned, spreading himself out on the grass.

I sighed and slid off the saddle as well. I patted Epona and tied the reigns to a nearby tree.

"Good job girl," I whispered, handing her an apple out of Cremia's damn little "care pack." I'm anticipating at least three inconspicuous love notes. I turned back to Link, who was still lazily lying on the ground, gazing up at the night sky.

"Have you planned on doing anything productive? Like, oh, I don't know, building a fire?" I demanded. He shook his head.

"No. Fires would produce light and smoke, therefore attracting unwelcome and unwanted monsters slash people. I would prefer to sleep knowing I won't be mauled, thank you," he said, still looking up at the stars. I glared at him, my face red. Why didn't I think of that? I ignored his spiel and chucked him an apple.

"Here. Dinner of champions," I said, sitting beside him and taking a bite from my own apple.

"I don't really feel like a champion," he muttered, fingering the apple's smooth red skin.

"I think you're a champion," I stated, lying my head next to his. The stars were pretty that night, the same they had been on my birthday.

"Really?"

"Yeah. First, you're the Hero of Time. But not because of destiny but because you want to save your little sister. Second, once you have your mind set on something, you'll do it. Always. And third, you stopped to help Romani find her sister, which was sweet though I didn't like the following events," I said, biting into my apple again. Link took a bite from his own apple.

"Thanks, Z. I'm really glad you're here," he said quietly. There was a pause. "It's funny; once, my sister asked who I would want to save Hyrule with. I thought it was an odd question at the time, but I said you. And here we are!"

"Here we are."

A pause again, only this one was longer. For a moment I thought that maybe he had fallen asleep. Then there was a rustling noise as he sat up to throw his uneaten apple towards Epona. He lie back down, this time facing me.

"Goodnight, Zelda," he whispered. And he leaned over and kissed me softly on the forehead. His lips were like a butterfly's wing, barely brushing my skin.

This time the pause was for good. His breath quickly became deep and even, and I was left awake with the woods. Owls hooted. Somewhere, hopefully far off in the distance, a wolf howled. Crickets chirped, and a breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, altogether creating a symphony of night. I turned towards Link and snuggled closer to his warm body; there was little heat provided by my thin clothes. There are worse things, I suppose. It could be snowing. Link could be shacking up with Cremia. There could be an army of spike shelled turtles closing in on us. I could have rabies. I guess my point is, things aren't all so bad...

_The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everything was perfect. I ran with Link through perfect, lush meadows full of beautiful flowers. Each was different and unique in its own way, yet all were beautiful. Link was smiling. I was smiling. Everything was perfect. He picked me up and twirled me around in his arms. My laugh rang through the meadow; its happy notes echoed all around. He set me back on the ground, his twinkling blue eyes the same color as the sky. I leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. His lips tasted sweet. After the blissful kiss, I left to pick a flower. I needed to find the perfect one for Link. I searched high and low, near and far, until I found it. The petals were a lacy white, shining when the light hit it. Intricate green designs swirled through the petals and down the thin stem. I picked it happily and ran back to find him, but I froze when I saw him. He was holding someone else in his arms. I was looking at myself. Link and the other me looked up in surprise as I approached. It was me, down to every last detail. She gasped and leaned up to whisper something in Link's ear. He nodded and began advancing towards me slowly, his eyes suddenly menacing and his hand on his sword hilt. Storm clouds now covered the bright sun, and I heard whispered chanting. The other me was now chanting too, a smirk on her lips and her eyes a feral gold. I backed away as Link drew the mighty blade towards me, closing my eyes and waiting for the final blow..._

I was woken up by a sharp kick to the side. My eyes snapped open and I sat up instantly. My heart was pumping loudly, and my breathing was fast. I received another kick, and I looked over to see Link squirming in his sleep. He was saying something, his words an incomprehensible blur of Hylian and Setain, the two languages mingling and combining. He was calling for someone.

"Kaikaina... Makuahine... Makua kane..." he muttered. His words became more and more frantic, and I was preparing to shake him awake, when he burst awakee screaming, his eyes wide with fear.

"Link? Link you're okay," I whispered, rubbing his back. "It was only a dream, shh..."

He closed his eyes and lay back on the grass, rubbing his forehead with his hands. "No, I'm not okay. Zelda, these get worse and worse. I'm scared of falling asleep. I'm scared of who I'm going to see, of who's going to get hurt the next time. I can't- I can't..." he trailed off, sitting up again and staring into the distance. The sun was rising above the trees, lighting the top branches with a fiery gold light. What do you say to that? I wasn't sure, so I just kept quiet, but kept running my fingers through his hair. This seemed to calm him a bit. I'm no Aryll, but I think I'm pretty good at getting him to settle down.

"Let's leave," he said finally. "Let's go. We're wasting time."

And with that, he stood up and stalked over to Epona, untying her from the tree. I walked over next to him and tossed him the backpack again. He took it without a word and swung himself up onto the saddle, waiting for me to do the same. I sighed deeply and climbed on in front of him, holding the reigns loosely in my hands.

"Do you want to talk about-"

"No."

I bit my lip and steered Epona slowly out of the clearing. Only an hour's ride to Faron Woods. I urged Epona into a gallop, and forced myself to accept the fact that this trip was going to be a silent one. I wish he'd talk to me. This seem to be a habit of his. He'll bottle something up for the longest time, letting it brew and bubble, getting worse and worse, until he breaks under the pressure or he explodes. That's what he did for his aunt and uncle. And I'm glad he did. Because if he holds these things inside for too long, he'll be beyond help.

Conversation was limited to him muttering directions to me, or the occasional "How much longer?" or "Mother Nayru, my butt hurts." We entered the Lost Woods, the forest bordering the mighty Faron. The trees began to clear a bit, and the city of Kokiri was coming into view above the horizon. We entered the small city, hoping to find someone to tells us where the temple is. I dismounted and gestured for Link to do the same.

"We'll lead her through the city. Your outfit already attracts too much attention."

"Ha, ha. You're so funny," he sneered, taking ahold of Epona's reigns and leading her behind us. "Now, I actually have an idea. Saria's down here with her mom, and her mom knows like, everything about the Kokiri. I bet she'll know where the temple is."

"Perfect! Do you know where they're staying?" I asked. He nodded.

"They have a house down here because their mom works here so much. Sheik and I used to come down during the summer," he told me, leading Epona through the streets.

Kokiri was another beautiful city. The roads were paved in soft green leaves, pressed to the ground. Trees stood tall, covering the city with a canopy. Some of the really big ones had been hollowed out and were being lived and worked in. The streets were lit by what seemed like thousands of soft yellow light floating through the air. Faeries, I realized. There were faeries illuminating this city. Link led Epona and I out of the main city and into the more suburban area. Children ran through the streets, followed by faeries. Each child seemed to have a special faerie friend, and they engaged of all kinds of games with the faeries; anything from tag to kick the can, which how the faeries managed to play that game is beyond me. We stopped at a charming house with green shutters and window boxes full of ferns. Link ran to the door and knocked loudly and rapidly.

"I'm coming! Keep you pants on!" was the call from inside. A second later, the door was thrown open revealing Saria, her green hair tousled by sleep and falling out of two pigtails. She wore a tank top and green sweatpants, and her necklace gleamed at her throat. "Whoa, what are you two doing here? And what in the name of all things holy are you wearing?"

"Who's at the door?" a different voice yelled. A young boy with purple hair falling to his shoulders materialized at the door, his blue eyes examining us critically.

"Kafei! Go away!" Saria grunted, shoving the boy back. "Come in," she said, ignoring the rude gesture her brother flashed her direction. "I know I said you were welcome anytime, Link, but what are you doing here? Fully armed, I might add," Saria said once we arrived in a cozy kitchen.

"Long story short, we're looking for the Faron Spring temple. We though your mom might know so we came to ask," Link explained, glancing over Saria's shoulder. "Are those green pancakes?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah, they're mine. Back off, elf man!" Kafei exclaimed, snatching the plate and sticking his tongue out at Link, who returned the action.

"You're the one to talk, midget!"

"I'm not the one dressed like the Green Lantern!" he retorted, skewering a piece of pancake. Saria and I giggled.

"I was gonna say, you're a little early for Halloween," she snickered.

"Please shut your midget mouth. Can you help us?" Link asked.

"Well, unfortunately my mom isn't here, she left early. So I don't know if she knows about any Faron Spring... Kafei, what about you?" the Kokiri girl asked her little brother. He thought for a second.

"Remember that place we played at when we were little? The one Mom didn't like because she said it was dangerous?"

"Yeah! There was this giant marble monolith, with a big Triforce carved on it. It said 'Ye who is Chosen, may enter.' We just thought it was for decoration, but it could have very well been a door," she told us. I looked at Link.

"That sounds like what we're looking for. Could you mark it on a map?" I asked. She looked doubtful.

"Um, I can't really read maps so I don't know..."

"I can!" Kafei cried. "I can because I'm obviously a lot more smarter than ol' snot hair over there. Where's the map?"

Link laughed and pulled the map out for Kafei while Saria sputtered indignantly. Kafei grabbed a green crayon from a drawer and sat the parchment on the table. After thinking for a moment, he placed a waxy 'X' not too far out of Kokiri.

"There. I know it is," he said.

"Thanks, kiddo," Link said, ruffling his hair affectionately. "And thanks to ol' snot hair too."

Saria rolled her eyes, then looked suspicious. "You're leaving already? What are you doing?" she asked as Link grabbed the front door handle. I turned to look at her.

"Saving the world."

And we ran back outside, slamming the door behind us. I jumped on Epona with Link right behind me. He studied Kafei's mark for a moment before rolling the map back up and sticking it in our backpack.

"Not far from here. Take a left up ahead, then your next right. The path is pretty straightforward from there."

I pushed Epona into a canter. Faces flashed by as we rode, some confused, some laughing at us, some looking concerned for our mental health. If only they knew. If only. They had no idea what we were doing. They'll forget about us by lunch. The crazily dressed girl and boy on the horse will just be another insignificant memory.

The trees began to thicken again, and we were back in the woods. Faron Woods weren't as friendly as the Lost Woods. The trees were tall and dark, obscuring the sun from view with their long branches. Foreign calls echoed from all sides, and I felt as if I were being watched by a thousand pairs of eyes.

"Almost there..." Link muttered, glancing at our surroundings. And then I saw it. A large stone door, built right into the side of a cliff. I pulled Epona to a stop and looked at the unnatural sculpture. A Triforce was carved into the white marble, below the words 'Ye who is Chosen may enter. Ye who is not, beware. Only the Blessed permitted, the rest be prepared for a scare.' Two unlit torches were on either side of the stone.

"Light those," I instructed Link. "Use your magical flame wand."

He grinned boyishly. All signs of the Link from this morning had vanished. "I like my magical flame wand," he said, pulling it out of his belt and twirling it around his fingers.

"_Ignis,_" he whispered. The tip of the white wand lit up like a candle. He ceremoniously set each torch ablaze, slightly brightening the forest's eerie mood. The Triforce on the door began to glow faintly.

"Now what?" Link asked, extinguishing his magic wand.

"Um, open sesame?"

"Damn, took the words straight from my mouth!"

I eyed the door carefully. 'Ye who is Chosen may enter.' We're Chosen. But how would the door know that? What marks us as Chosen... The Triforce. My eyes flicked to the glowing carving.

"Link, put your hand on Courage," I ordered, walking up to the door.

"Um, why?" he asked, placing his hand on the lower right triangle as I did the left.

"You'll see."

The marks on our hands gave one golden pulse. After a few seconds, the stone Triforce gave a pulse back, and slowly but surely, the door began to rumble open. Link grinned at me, then looked back down at the blackness waiting for us.

"You know, I'm experiencing a strange feeling of deja vu."

I could only agree as we descended the torchlit stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank Christ, I finally got a chapter out! Sorry this was mildly overdue. The next one will be out soon, and that's a promise!<strong>

**1. I don't know if the left or the right of the Triforce is courage or wisdom. Don't shoot me!**

**2. I don't have anything against Cremia... Or redheads. I think redheads have he most beautiful hair color ever!**

**3. Setian is the Outset language, which in real life is Hawaiian. Makuahine is mother, Makua kane is father, and kaiaking is sister.**

**Ummm I think that's all I wanted to say! I love the Hawaiian language. I'm good friends with people who speak it! Anyway, thanks for reading guys! Seriously I appreciate it so darn much!**

**Read and review pleeeasseeeeee!**

**~Lei Lei**

**That's what my sister calls me... :/**


	21. Chapter 20

**Haha, I had the best typo ever in my last chapter. Instead of "ran my fingers through his hair," I said, "ran my tigers through his hair." Not sure why, but I found this hysterical and burst out laughing. I went back and edited it though. I almost never do that... Anyway.**

**MistyMilkshakeBoss: Team Peeta all the way ;)**

**pyrosavvy5: I know right? I really want a magical fire wand! That would be dangerous...**

**Kamil the Awesome: I know right, I love torches. And thanks, I decided to add Setian in last minute. Hawaiian is such a cool language.**

**Thanks to ShadowNinja1011, DarkOppressor, prien12, Lauparisi, Sheikgal, Anon, and BlueMonkeyDoll. You all make this story worthwhile!**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty (?)<p>

The girl leaned against the wall, looking out the window at the inky black sky above. He stood next to her, hovering over her constantly like a guard dog. Not that she minded. Well, the free part of her minded. The other part, the part he controlled, liked it when he was close to her. She wondered where they were. The free part hoped they were safe. The other part was willing them to get kidnapped so they could win. It was a constant battle with herself, a war for control.

"The King will be returning soon," the man told her, fingering the back of her neck. "He has been thinking. We have been thinking. And we think we know just the way to break down the Chosen and get them straight to us. But..." he trailed off and leaned in closer. "We need you cooperation."

"Yes, sir," she answered automatically.

"When the King asks you a question, I expect you'll answer it like a good girl."

"Yes, sir."

He grinned, a twisted, evil grin. "Good. Very good. You know, Midna, at first I had my doubts about you. I wasn't sure I could trust you. But now, here you are. Obedient to the point of perfection. I'm quite proud of you."

"Thank you, sir," Midna said, still looking straight out the window. The King was here, she could feel it. The sky had grown darker, the stars dimmer, and the air hummed with an untouchable power. The power of the Triforce.

Right on cue, the mahogany doors to the throne room were thrown open, and a dark man stalked in. This throne room was much different than that of her master's. Everything was tasteful and expensive, usually handcrafted from the deserts. The man turned and sank into the throne. His dark skin seemed darker than normal tonight, and his gold eyes were alight with something between excitement and madness. He must have really struck inspiration tonight.

"Girl, come here," he ordered Midna.

"Yes, my King."

She walked quickly over to the throne and knelt before him. Everything about his presence was overwhelming. He was so much different than the man she knew as a child. The man who would take them to the beach and buy them shaved ice afterwards. The man who would take them to the zoo, and when she was too short to see the monkeys, he would lift her up in his strong arms. The man who let them have sleepovers and roast marshmallows inside on their wood burning fireplace. The man before her was an entirely different character.

"My dear Midna. How funny it is to have you here on my side through all of this. I guess Fate does have a sense of irony," he mused, staring down at her with his intimidating gold eyes.

"Fate does indeed seem to have its own set of plans," she agreed.

"As do I. But I need your utmost cooperation. I want to break the Hero's spirit. I know how to get to the girl, seeing that I've raised her for her whole life. She will be easier to capture. But if Fate is to repeat itself, the Hero will save her. Unless I can crush him; toy with his mind and break him down, making him more vulnerable and leaving the Princess to me. But I need to know the people closest to them for my plan to go through. Tell me, Midna, who were his closest childhood friends?" the man asked, leaning forward in his throne.

"Saria and Sheik," she said instantly. The three had been inseparable since kindergarten. But as soon as she say the last name, the free part of her felt a surge of strength. Sheik. If they had him, they'd hurt him before Link to break him down. Or possess him like they possessed her. She couldn't have that happen, not to him.

"Saria and Sheik. Very well. Zant, send a few soldiers to retrieve these two-"

"Wait!" Midna cried. The gold eyes flickered back to her, a small fire raging in them.

"Yes?" he hissed, glaring at her and making her feel suddenly microscopic.

"I... You can't use Sheik," she stuttered, looking at the ground. An amused look flashed across the Dark King's face.

"And why is that?" he asked.

"Because... I... he..." she stammered, losing her courage. "Because that's not the best way to crush Link Carstairs!" she burst out. Noe she was going to have to think of a better way.

"Really? And what might that better way be?"

"...You want to completely break and crush his soul? You won't accomplish that through his friends. Sure, that'll affect him, but not in the way you want it to. If you want to get to him, it has to be through himself. Get to him through the Princess. Instead of capturing both of them at once, get her first. Even better, find a way to turn her against him. Then, through his family. He can't stand the past. Even though I'm not sure what happened, I'm sure one of you does. Do those things, and it'll crush him completely."

The words had flowed out of her so easily. She was betraying Link, but saving Sheik. Betraying the "enemy", and saving the one who held her heart. That was all she could do at the moment. The King nodded slowly.

"I see. Crush him by taking away the one he loves and reliving the awful moment of the past. I remember that day clearly. Zant, I believe you remember it better than I."

Zant's lips curled into a feral snarl. Apparently he did.

"So you think this is the way to go?" the Dark King asked. Midna nodded.

"The only way to get to Link Carstairs is through his heart."

* * *

><p>The short blonde girl looked at the boy sleeping. His blonde hair was mussed up from sleep, and his breathing was deep and even. Aryll Carstairs' heart won;d have been fluttering now, seeing her older brother's handsome best friend. But Hylia knew better than to think those things. It wasn't in her nature, and he was here to guide her. Nothing more.<p>

Her tall, Sheikah companion knelt by the boy's bedside and shook him gently. Navi fluttered close to her side, never straying too far away from hrt.

"Sheik," Impa said softly. He groaned and mumbled something, rolling over so his back was facing the odd trio. Impa rolled her red eyes and shook him again, this time a little harder.

"Sheik... Sheik... You need to get up."

"S' too early..." he mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep. "Five more mins..."

"Sheik Mitchell Umbra, you get up this instant!" Impa roared. Sheik slowly dragged himself up to a sitting position, blinking the sleep out of his deep crimson eyes. Aryll Carstairs noted how he was shirtless, revealing a well-toned six-pack. Hylia simply saw that he was in shape, all the better to defend her.

"Aunt Impa? What are you- why are you in my room?" he sputtered, suddenly wide awake. He glanced towards the girl standing by his door. "..._Aryll_? Why are you here?"

"Not Aryll, Sheik," Impa told him gently. "Remember what I told you? What you've been training for your whole life?"

She leaned over to whisper in his ear. The girl already knew what her guide was telling him, and if she didn't know, the look on his face would have been a dead giveaway. Impa was telling him who she was. What she was doing. Why it was so vital that she accomplish what she was set out to do. What his role in all of this was. When she pulled away from him, Sheik simply stared at her. He flashed her a small, forced smile.

"Who would have thought. Aryll Carstairs, Goddess of the skies. I guess it's you and me, kiddo," he said, pulling himself out of the covers.

"And me!" Navi cried indignantly.

"Or course. We get a faerie too," he said dryly, opening his closet and searching for something.

"Wear your gear," Impa reminded him.

"What do you think I'm looking for?" Sheik snapped back. "Sorry, it's just a little bit of information to take in. My friend's younger sister is the Goddess, and I'm supposed to lead her to three Light Springs and then to the Triforce! With a faerie!"

"I'm sorry Sheik. I would protect her, but it is not my job. I'm required elsewhere," Impa said simply. The blonde girl nodded.

"You're being pulled into this rather quickly, and for that I apologize, but this is what you were destined to do. You were chosen to do this, and now as darkness rises, you have to rise up to your duty," she said, looking at him seriously. He blinked.

"I'm sorry, that just sounds so wrong coming from a ten year old," he said, yanking out a traditional Sheikah suit from his closet.

"Go get dressed," Impa instructed. "And pack a small bag. A light small bag!" she called as he slammed his door on them. She sighed. "He'll serve you well, Your Grace. I can tell you that. It might take him longer to adjust, but he will serve you to the death."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Aryll Carstairs heard herself saying.

"I hope it doesn't either. It will be in Fate's hands."

There was a pause, and inside Sheik's bedroom you could hear Sheik, cursing out Fate and destiny, grumbling about his "poor deprived sleep." Impa cracked a smile.

"Good luck, Your Grace," she said, turning to leave. "Now is when I leave you. I was destined to guide another, and merely rescued you that one night by accident on my way to the one whom I was fated to lead. Goodbye."

"Impa, I... I'm scared. We were attacked yesterday! Attacked! A war is brewing, darkness is growing, and the chances of me making it are slowly depleting," Hylia cried.

"Oh Your Grace, don't think like that," Navi whispered.

"She is right. You must keep a hight head and have faith."

"But Impa, how can I have faith when I don't even know who I am?"

Impa smiled down at the young girl and cupped her face in her hands. "If anything, just have faith in who you are supposed to be and who you once were. That is all I can say to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a royal appointment."

Sheik came out just as she left, and the two young ones watched silently as the woman retreated into the night, leaving them alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew, dramaticness... kind of. They're plot developers, if anything.<strong>

**1. Sheik's last name is "Umbra," meaning shadow.**

**That's it. Next chapter soon. Any guesses on what Impa or Ganondorf are going to do? I'd love to hear them!**

**~Leila**

**Read Beautiful by Miss Ashlynn, or Antiquis Viam by anidnawind. Both are quite good.**


	22. Chapter 21

**Another chapter! It's really late... Um... We are so close to the exciting stuff I've been waiting for! :) And I don't know why I haven't done this earlier, but I do have a lot of errors in my chapters and I am now looking for a beta reader... PM me if interested? I'll be going back and correcting past chapters, but would someone please help me for the future? And also I'm considering starting another fic... A friend said it helped them keep ideas going, but I don't know!**

**Lauparisi: I'll get to how Midna and Zant met soon enough! And I'll also get to Link's past. I'm excited for that. It will all be explained soon! And you're welcome :) But thank you again for reviewing!**

**EternalNight1212: I appreciate your reviews with or without an account! And haha :) It's good to know you're not a 50 year old pervert!**

**Thanks to ShadowNinja1011, Zolias, John, pyrosavvy5, Sheikagal, MistyMilkshakeBoss, hamburger maniac56, Insane. Certifiably, DarkOppressor, and Kirkysaurus!**

**It's funny. I have had multiple requests to make Zant's death painful. That can be arranged! And everything will be explained, I promise!**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-One (Link)<p>

I yanked my sword out of the creature for the fifth time, and thrust it forward for a sixth. The pig-goblins were back, only this time they were like zombies. They crawled up from the soft earth beneath us and trudged towards us with their dead yellow eyes. And they wouldn't die a second time. Or at least, not easily. The sixth time seemed to do it for this one, and it collapsed around my blade with a moan. I jerked back and spun around to face yet another Farore-damned monster. I'm starting to get really pissed off. So far this entire temple has been nothing but hordes of monsters. There's not as many puzzles, but you have to fight your way through for everything. And there's plenty of courage tests. Drops that appear endless but are actually only a few feet, tunnels that are blacker than night itself, monsters with sharp claws, glowing eyes and thousands of teeth...

I grunted in annoyance as the goblin thing finally fell to the ground. That was the last of them. As predicted, the grate covering the next door slid open promptly. And the next room will be filled with more, harder monsters. I hate this.

"This time I promise, the key is through this door," Zelda said, looking at our newly acquired map of the temple. This place is so big it needs its own goddessdamn map! "It's a round room, though, so there's probably something in it." We've been discovering that every circular shaped room has something particularly nasty waiting for us.

"Fantastic. Just what I wanted. More mini little armies to hack through," I muttered, wiping my blade clean on the soft green moss that coats the walls of this place. We'd been at this for nearly twenty-four hours. Squinting at the map, then running straight into rooms full of demons and other kinds of horrors just waiting for us. How long have they been waiting? That's what I want to know. Either way, I'm exhausted. I'm totally drained. But there is nowhere safe to sleep. You can't let your guard down in this place. Because if you don't come to the evil, the evil will come to you. We tried to rest once, in a room where we killed all the monsters. All the doors closed. We thought we were safe. Until five lizard-men burst through the doors, eyes menacing and scythes ready. I absently traced a cut on my arm. It's still fresh.

"Ready?" Zelda asked. I shrugged and wiped some blood off my face with my sleeve.

"As I'll ever be," I sight. She touched her hand to the door, and it reacted instantly, lighting up blue and sliding open. When I touch the doors, they glow green.

We found ourselves indeed in a circular room. Trees were scattered randomly around the room, their trunks thick and branches ripe with glittering multicolored fruit. Grass was soft beneath our feet. A waterfall cascaded into a crystal clear pond. A few butterflies flitted around carelessly. It was beautiful, but that only set me on edge. Something awful and horrible was in this room...

And then I heard it.

The singing. The most beautiful, wonderful noise I've ever heard in my life. It echoed sweetly through the room, teasing me, tempting me. I spun around wildly, searching for the source. It was closer, louder... I saw Zelda clutching her ears, her face contorted in pain. I disregarded her. I had to find the singing. The lovely, beautiful singing... It was calling me. I started walking to find it, I _had_ to find it, but Zelda grabbed my arm.

"Link stop! Don't you hear that?" she demanded. I nodded, pulling away from her.

"I have to find it! The singing, it's so beautiful!"

"Link! It's screeching! Screeching and screaming. It's chanting of blood and death, don't you hear it?" she cried desperately. No, the voice was good. It was very good.

"The voice is good!" I insisted, walking into the grove of trees. "I have to find it!"

I vaguely heard Zelda call my name, but all I was focused on now was the voice. I moved mechanically, slowly, searching, yearning... And there she was. Perched amidst the trees on a rock, was the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on. Her long hair rippled down her back, the waves the color of sunshine. Her bright green eyes were beckoning me, calling to me. She wore an outfit woven from leaves and vines. She was perfect. She gestured for me to come closer, smiling her beautiful smile and singing louder. I obeyed, walking towards her slowly. She was so irresistibly beautiful, almost like a goddess... My eyelids fluttered closed, and I could feel her hands cupping my face, her lips brushing my neck...

Then a scream, and her touch was gone. The singing stopped. I opened my eyes and saw Zelda standing over the terrified woman with a knife. Her blue eyes blazed with fury. The woman looked so helpless, terrified, begging for me to help her... With a yell, I jumped in front of her just as Zelda brought the knife down. She gasped and stopped it short, though the blade still grazed my skin. I didn't care though. All that mattered was that she almost killed the woman. Therefore she had to die.

"Link, what are you doing?" she hissed. "Can't you see that hideous monster? I just saved you from being eaten alive!"

"No! You're trying to kill her!" I screamed, drawing my sword and pointing it at Zelda. The singing was back, the blissful sound egging me on, telling me to get rid of the wretched girl who wanted to kill her... I brought the blade down but didn't make contact with anything. She had jumped to the side.

"Link! Wake up!" she cried. "Wake up and see the demon trying to kill you!"

"She's not a demon! She'd never hurt me! You're wrong!" I yelled swinging at her with my sword again. She easily sidestepped it, and sprang at me with lightning speed. I thrashed at her, but she didn't hurt me, she only put her hand over my ears. The singing stopped, and I blinked a couple times. Then screamed in terror as the beautiful woman morphed into the ugliest thing I had ever seen. The creature was completely naked, covered with sickly, baggy brown skin that spoke of starvation. Its eyes glowed a malicious neon purple, and saliva dripped from hundreds of needle-like teeth.

"See that?" Zelda yelled. "That's what it is! That's what you were protecting!"

"Wha-what? How do we k-kill it! If it sings again, I'll be... wanting to protect it!" I stammered, my eyes never leaving those of the monster before us.

"You'll need to drown out the noise! Play the harp and sing. Be loud. I'll kill it. It obviously does something that affects men, but not women. Maybe the screeching... Anyway, distract it or something!" she yelled, thrusting the harp at me. I took it. As soon as she took her hands off my ears, the singing started again. Slowly, the demon began to transform back into the beautiful woman... Why am I aiming to kill her? She's beautiful, her voice is beautiful... But the purple eyes still shone at me, those horrible purple eyes... I took a deep breath and began to pluck random notes on the harp and sang as loud as I could.

"There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I dunno why she swallowed that fly, perhaps she'll die!" I'm not sure why that particular song popped into my head. My dad taught it to me. I remember, on one of those nights where I couldn't fall asleep, he came in and sat with me. And he sang. He had a great voice. A beautiful voice. Even the silliest songs sounded wonderful coming from his mouth.

The woman frowned at me, then smiled, beckoning to me. I bit my lip, then sang louder. "There was an old lady who swallowed a spider, that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. But I dunno why she swallowed that fly- Perhaps she'll die."

She was half of the hideous creature, half the beautiful woman now. It was working. She walked towards me, her expression angry and her singing becoming louder and more frantic. Zelda was behind her, knife ready. I nodded at her and began backing away from the monster, singing as I went.

"There was an old lady who swallowed a bird; how absurd, to swallow a bird! She swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. But I dunno why she swallowed that fly- Perhaps she'll die."

The creature was mad now, she bared her teeth and extended her once perfect hand to me. Now I could see her dagger sharp nails. Zelda raised her knife to strike, but the creature whirled around and struck at Zelda, catching her off guard and raking her nails down her shoulder. She screamed and the thing rose to strike again, but Zelda jumped out of the way and slashed its arm with her dagger. I wanted to run and help her, but I didn't want to be possessed by the creature's singing and hurt Zelda. I was helpless.

Zelda and the creature circled each other, each of their faces bent in determination. The creature took another swipe at Zelda, who quickly ducked. The creature screeched, a horrible awful sound, and I cringed and stopped singing. The screeching suddenly turned into the singing, the wonderful, beautiful...

"There was an old lady who swallowed a cat! Imagine that, she swallowed a cat! She swallowed the cat to catch the bird, she swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her! She swallowed the spider to catch the fly! But I dunno why she swallowed that fly- Perhaps she'll die!"

I was practically yelling to drown out the sounds of the creature. It had leapt up into the trees now, and was now conjuring up swarms of butterflies to attack Zelda. At first I was laughing, until one of the wings sliced across Zelda's cheek and left a bleeding crimson line. Zelda screamed and slashed wildly at the insects, more scratches appearing all over her body. That was the last straw. I ran to her, still strumming the harp to keep me from falling to the creature. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but as I approached her, the butterflies all started flying to me. Oh damn. I cringed, waiting for the razor cuts, but was surprised as they fluttered happily around the harp. They like music. I grinned and continued to strum aimlessly. At least now I'm helping.

The creature jumped down from the trees and hissed at Zelda. She swiped at it with her dagger, but it howled and jumped up into the trees again and started calling for more deadly butterflies. I drew them away from Zelda, and this cycle repeated several times with neither side gaining any significant ground. Finally Zelda yelled to me.

"Link! Stop singing!"

"There was an old lady who swallowed a dog. What a hog, to swallow a dog! She swallowed the dog to- Stop singing? Are you crazy?" I yelled. The creature was jumping from treetop to treetop, screeching as it did.

"Trust me, Link! Just do it!" she cried. Something in her eyes told me she did indeed have a plan and reluctantly, I stopped my harp music. The silence was deafening at first, but then the creature noticed the absence of my playing. She turned to me again and began to sing. Instantly, she was a gorgeous maiden again. I smiled and discarded the harp on the ground. I had to get to her. I needed to feel her, touch her, breath her in, hear her voice! She smiled sweetly at me as I approached her. I closed my eyes again and leaned forward, waiting for her soft, intoxicating touch. Her fingertips brushed my cheek, when suddenly a piercing shriek filled the air, and my eyes flew open. The singing had stopped. The woman was gone, and in her place the creature was frozen in an endless scream. Zelda's dagger protruded from its back, and slowly, it collapsed on the ground.

I met Zelda's eyes with my own, then bent to retrieve the Aryll's harp as Zelda yanked her dagger from the thing's back.

"Good riddance. That thing was nasty," Zelda spat, sheathing her weapon. I nodded and handed her the harp.

"It was so weird! It was like being drunk or something. I heard singing and all I wanted was to get to the voice. It looked like a beautiful woman to me," I said, staring at the fallen pile of saggy, pale skin.

"Well, it looked fucking ugly to me. And speaking of singing, you're pretty good. I would have been impressed if I wasn't fighting off swarms of killer insects," she told me with a grim smile.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said, gently stroking her cheek, running my finger over her various cuts. She winced every time I touched her open wounds.

"I'm going to have so many scars now. I'll look like a bear mauled me." She laughed coldly. "People will ask what happened, and I can tell me I was attacked by a pack of vicious butterflies. Ha, don't I sound like a brave- Link! Look!" she cried, pointing at the creature's body. It was staring to shimmer with a green light. The light rose up from the body, and condensed into a sphere. The light grew brighter and brighter until...

A woman appeared, looking scornfully down at the dead creature by her feet. She looked just like _the_ woman; same gold hair, same outfit, everything. The only difference now was her bright green eyes had no pupil, and she had large, leafy wings sprouting from her back. No pun intended. She turned to face us and smiled.

"_I am Demetra, Great Faerie of Faron's Spring. You have saved me from that vile creature, and for that, I am thankful," _she said.

"What was that thing?" I asked, my gaze revolving between the dead thing and Demetra.

_"Anima Hominis. Translated to 'soul of man'. Men are tempted by its apparent beauty and beautiful voice, and it draws them in and sucks their souls out. They are also parasites, needing a host to preform its dirty work. That one got control of me, and I am grateful to you for freeing me. Allow me to reward you."_

She closed her eyes and muttered something in some language I don't know, and a chest appeared in the center of the mini forest.

_"I imagine you'll find this tool useful. The key you seek is also within the chest. Take them both as tokens of my gratitude."_

"Thank you, Demetra. You are very kind," Zelda said, bowing her head to the faerie. Demetra smiled, and extended her arm to put her hand on Zelda's cheek, tracing her cuts as I had done.

_"No, thank you, Hero and Princess. Go receive your gifts, and please, take some fruit. Sanitatem, the fruit of healing. Your kind uses them to make medicine. Help yourselves, and may they aid you on your journey."_

And with that, she turned and melted into the bark of the nearest tree, smiling as she shimmered and disappeared.

"I really like Great Faeries. They're kindred spirits, like-"

"Like Telma," Zelda finished with a sigh. "Let's get the key, pick some fruit and get out of here. I hate this room."

"Fine by me."

I followed Zelda to the treasure chest and watched as she opened it. Inside lay our key, and a simple willow bow next to a quiver of arrows. Zelda lifted the bow gently, tracing its curve with her finger. She stood to full height and experimentally pulled the bowstring back.

"It's perfect," she breathed. "The balance, the weight... It's perfect!"

"You've shot a bow before?" I asked as she tucked the key in her belt and slung the quiver over her shoulder.

"My father had me learn. I've been shooting ever since I was a little girl," she told me. She nocked the bow and drew the string back with three fingers, and released. The arrow rocketed through the air and buried itself in the center of a large know on a tree. She smiled to herself and went to get the arrow back. "I get the bow. You got your fire wand for killing that other thing, so I get the bow because I killed that. Also, you'd probably kill yourself trying to shoot this."

"That's hurtful. I'm probably the best bowman in Hyrule. You're just holding me back," I teased, reaching up to pluck a fruit from a branch above me. I stuffed a couple of the fruits in the backpack, and tossed one to Zelda. "Eat this. I have a strong feeling these will come in handy."

She did as instructed, and pulled out the map as she ate. Already, her cuts were closing up, getting better by the bite. "Alright, the door this key belongs to is out of thus room, and two rooms through the left door in the last room. Then we'll come out into a big rectangular room."

"Great. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Demetra watched from her hiding spot in the tree as the two teenage Heroes left her room. She smiled and peeled herself from the tree. Turning to a different tree, she spoke.<p>

_"They have left. You can come out now, Your Grace."_

A small blonde girl, accompanied by a young Sheikah boy and a faerie, peeked out from around the trunk and stepped into the open. They had snuck in during the battle with the Anima Hominis and had hid from the two Chosen. Demetra knew what the girl wanted. The Anima Hominis had wanted it too, and when she refused to give it to the creature, it possessed her.

"Demetra," the young girl spoke, curtsying before the Faerie. "We have entered your beautiful domain to request an object. I believe you know what it is?"

The woman looked the odd trio over. She had known they were coming. The Goddess, the Warrior, and the Messenger. It had been prophesied many years ago.

_"Of course, Your Grace. Welcome to my hall, Aryll Carstairs. Same goes to you, Sheik Umbra and Navi the faerie. I have the object of which you speak. Only you can retrieve it, Your Grace. It's in the water,"_ the Great Faerie said, gesturing to the waterfall. The young girl ran over, and waded knee deep into the spring, not at all concerned with getting her dress wet.

She stooped low, and folded her hands in prayer. Demetra stood next to the Sheikah and the faerie, her lips curved into a thin smile.

_"You're taking this awfully well, Warrior. Though your job has been relatively simple so far. It will only get worse,"_ she told the boy. He shrugged, his eyes still on the young girl in the pool. There was something in his eyes as he watched her.

"My aunt told me these things as a child. Instead of bedtime stories, I'd get bedtime prophecies. She'd tell me what I was destined for. And there was training. Lot's of training. I knew it would happen, I just didn't know it'd be now and... her."

_"I can tell you hold an attraction for the girl. Some form of love, I suppose. But love is a dangerous thing in war. Be careful where your heart is, Sheik Umbra. Love could very well be your downfall in this whole_ _scheme."_

The boy looked straight ahead for a moment, studying the wall and not saying anything. "I suppose I do love Aryll in a way. In a little sister way, maybe a little more than that. I love my aunt. I love Mi- my friend. But what do you mean by 'love will be my downfall'?" he questioned the Faerie. She smiled sadly.

_"Unfortunately, my dear Warrior, there are some things you won't know until they happen. Just be careful and make wise choices. Remember your duty."_

Sheik opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as he saw Aryll dive under the water's surface, the reappear seconds later, her hair dripping and her blue eyes smiling. In her hand, she clutched a large emerald encircled partially with gold. The Kokiri Emerald.

"We have the second part, Sheik! The second part! Only two to go."

* * *

><p>I forced the key into the lock and twisted angrily. Surprise dead-goblin ambushes don't do much to improve people's moods. According to Zelda, there's only a few rooms we haven't bee in yet. Thank Hylia. One of them better be that spring.<p>

The chains fell to the floor, and I touched the stone door. It lit up green and slid open. It was a big room, full of trees and torches. A whole bunch of tree roots covered the ground. There was a door at the other end of the room, but naturally it was barred. It seemed quiet, but I'd learned not to trust quiet. Quiet is a bitch. Zelda took a few cautious steps forward and looked around.

"Um... Shouldn't the hordes of hell be breaking loose now?" she asked.

"They'll come. Let's time them," I said dryly, walking to the center of the room. What are we supposed to do to open the door? I just want to be done with this! I don't want this! I kicked a tree trunk in frustration and cussed because it hurt. Maybe lighting all the torches. That's how we got into this place. I whipped out my wand and ignited it, wandering from torch to torch, lighting as I went. At first, they seemed randomly placed. But now that I was walking between them, it felt like there was a pattern... I lit the last torch, and nothing happened. I yelled a long, colorfully dirty string of words at the temple and almost threw my burning wand on the grassy floor. I caught myself just in time.

"Why can't this just be easy? What's the purpose of making everything so hard! If they want us to succeed, why do they make it so easy to fail?" I yelled. Of course, I didn't get an answer. Zelda came over to me and hugged me, squeezing me tight.

"Would it seem too cliche if I said life isn't fair?" she asked as I held her. I smiled.

"Yes. Please don't."

"Hm. Well, maybe we're missing something. Look, the torches already went out... Maybe we-" she was cut off as the ground beneath us began to tremble. And at least ten of those little undead goblins burst out, yellow eyes hollow and fixed directly on us.

"Four minutes and fifty-five seconds," Zelda muttered to me as she drew back the bow.

"You were actually timing? What the hell, who does that?" I asked, astounded.

"I do," she replied simply. And she let the arrow fly, hitting one monster directly in the heart. This method of killing seemed a lot more effective than using a sword, because it instantly let out a moan and crumpled to the ground.

"That was badass," I told her, plunging my blade into an oncoming goblin's stomach.

"Don't forget I can do that! You make me mad, and I won't hesitate," she warned me, a mocking grin on her face as she shot another monster. I laughed as I stabbed at another goblin. This is so weird. How did it get to the point where I'm having a conversation while killing things? What would Aryll say? What would my makuahine say? She's be appalled! She- my eyes stung, and I quickly sliced a goblin's head clean off, hoping to get my mind on other things.

The last of the zombie things were finally dead, and a strange stone rose from the ground before us. Something was inscribed on its surface, and I had no idea what it said. It was in some other language.

_Faces accendere, ut bene et iter revelabitur._

"Light the torches in the correct order, and your path shall be revealed," Zelda read aloud after staring at the tablet of stone for a minute.

"Wha- How did you know that?" I sputtered, dumbfounded.

"It's ancient Hylian. If you paid attention in class, you'd know it,"she snapped indignantly.

"I don't think anyone pays attention during 'ancient languages' week," I muttered. Zelda glared at me.

"Well, I find it interesting! But that's beside the point! In the correct order... How do we know what that is? They're randomly placed," she said, beginning to pace the length of the room.

"It's like connect the dots," I decided.

"Seriously? You relate this to a children's game?"

"No, seriously! We need to light the torches in order to make the picture," I said. "If only I had something to connect them with, and an aerial view..."

"You want a really big marker and a mini helicopter?" Zelda asked incredulously.

"You're dumb. I'm gonna climb a tree," I said, rubbing my hands together and grabbing a low branch of the nearest tree.

"What if there's something up there?" Zelda asked, glancing nervously up at the dark canopy of trees.

"Like what? A vicious flying squirrel with a bloodlust?" I grunted, pulling myself up higher into the trees.

"Well, maybe! My point is there could be anything-"

I gasped suddenly, looking above me and let out a blood curdling scream. Zelda's eyes bulged and she shrieked loudly.

"Link! What is it? Oh Nayru, Link!" she screamed. I burst out laughing and grinned down at her. Her terrified expression quickly melted into an extremely pissed off expression.

"Oh goddesses, your face was priceless!" I laughed, ascending higher and higher.

"Linkon Alexander Carstairs, that was not funny!" she snapped. My hand tightened around the branch I was holding.

"How'd you know my real name?" I asked cautiously. I don't go flaunting it around.

"In kindergarten and first grade, the teachers would call you Linkon until you corrected them. After that, you became such a famous troublemaker that teachers three grades ahead of you knew your name," she replied.

"Hm. Don't use it ever again," I said final, reaching a branch where I could sit comfortably. I had a decently good view of the floor below me from this vantage point. It was a labyrinth of tree roots down there. I looked from torch to torch, pretending I was four again and sitting in my father's lap with a puzzle book and a pencil.  
><em>"Now connect dot A to do B, Link. When you finish there'll be a picture."<br>__"But Daddy, I don't see the picture. It's just dots!"  
>"That's the fun part, paki.<em> _You need to discover the picture by tracing all the dots. It's like a big mystery that needs to be solved..."_

Hm. So far dots A and B aren't connecting. Maybe if I wish really hard, magic glowing numbers will appear and I can just follow those. The likelihood of that is about the same as Sheik wearing a ninja suit stalking me through this temple with a little talking faerie. Nothing. I sighed. My amazing connect the dots skills are failing! The master has fallen! It's these stupid tree roots obscuring my vision! They're like little lines running all over- Wait. Lines. Connect the dots. You connect the dots with lines! Gosh, that sounded intelligent.

I turned my gaze back to the torches and looked at the tree roots, trying to see if any of them connected in any way at all. I saw nothing, nothing, and more nothing. Maybe the roots have nothing to do with it. Great, now we're going to rot and die in here and never see the light of day again- Wait. I squinted at the hint of the shape I thought I saw. It was growing clearer now, the image becoming obvious in the jumble of lines. I was a circle, surrounded by two crescents. The symbol of Farore, patron goddess of Outset. Everyone had the symbol painted in green on their front doors to honor the goddess, and Farore's day was always a great, island-wide party. We'd have a luau, with good food, bonfires, swimming...

"Hey, Zelda! I know what to do!" I called down.

"Really? Thank Nayru, I was thinking we'd be stuck in here forever!".

"Yeah, it's the symbol of..." I trailed off, looking up into the pair of glowing eyes staring down at me. "Zelda," I said slowly. my tone must have been too calm, because when she replied she sounded worried.

"What is it Link?"

"I... Um... Nothing really," I said casually, slowly inching myself off the branch, my eyes never leaving the red ones. No sudden movements...

"Link what's going on?" Zelda asked, her voice a half-pitch higher than it was two seconds ago.

"Shh..." I whispered frantically, slowly climbing down the tree. The eyes were almost out of sight. So far so good.

"Why are you shushing me? What's up there?" she demanded.

"Whatever it was, it won't be bothering me now. I managed to slowly-" my sentence of my victory was cut short by an unnatural yowl, and I yelled as something slammed into me and knocked my backwards off the tree. My head hit a tree root, and my vision blurred. I vaguely felt something touch my arm, and I hear Zelda yell something, and then the pressure was gone. Knocked off of me by something.

"Link! Can you hear me?" Zelda asked, her face hovering above me. I giggled.

"Your voice is all echoey!" I told her. She frowned down at me.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Uh... Eleventy- four?"

She stood up and walked away, and I heard an unzipping noise. Everything was blurry and out of focus. Zelda returned holding something in her hand.

"Eat this," she instructed, putting something cold and wet against my lips. I licked it experimentally. It tasted like strawberries.

"Why?"

"It will help you," she coaxed, shoving the thing I assumed was fruit further into my lips. "Chew and swallow!"

I gave up and did as she said, chewing the piece of strawberry tasting fruit and choking it down. "It's gross," I told her. "Really, really gross."

My vision began to gradually clear, and it stopped echoing. I started remembering things, and I slowly pulled myself up to a sitting position. "What in Din's name was that?" I asked, rubbing my head. The sore throbbing was slowly receding with the healing fruits effects.

"It looked like a demonic cat," Zelda said. "I shot it off you, but it scratched your arm up pretty good. It's healing now."

I glanced at my blood covered arm. Indeed, there was nothing but another fresh scar to show for the injury. "I didn't feel anything at all."

"Well, it got you! Do you remember the pattern of the torches? I want to get out of here in case more of those things are watching from above," Zelda said, glancing up at the dark trees.

"It was... a... I remember! The symbol of Farore!" I cried, slowly standing up. I almost felt perfectly fine now. Whatever the Great Faerie gave us really works. I pulled out my wand. "_Ignis._"

I started with the circle in the middle, then lit the two surrounding half-moon shapes. The shape was so familiar, and I don't tell anyone, not even Aryll, but I still carry my mom's necklace. It's very simple; it's only a piece of leather with a worn gold symbol of Farore pendant dangling from it. The circle in the middle has a small emerald in its center. I subconsciously stuck my hand in my pocket to make sure it was still there. It was, still a familiar weight in my pocket.  
>The door slid open, and I extinguished my wand, feeling accomplished.<p>

"There's supposed to be a treasure chest in this room," Zelda said, pointing to a marking on the map. The room looked suspiciously long and skinny. I threw open the door and cringed as we walked from a dimly lit room and into fading sunlight. We've been in there for more than a day.

Glancing around, I saw the chest ahead, next to another barred door with an odd open eye above it, and began walking forward. Zelda cried out and grabbed my arm. I stopped abruptly and almost screamed. My foot was off the edge of a cliff and one step away from plunging into a dark abyss.

"You seriously didn't notice the chasm of doom?" Zelda asked, pulling me away from the cliff. I shook my head, my heart still racing.

"N-nope. I was too busy looking at the chest," I said, gesturing. Zelda frowned.

"Well how are we supposed to get to that?" she asked.

"Why don't you sprout wings and-"

"Can you be serious about this?"

"Um... Can we like, tie some rope to the arrow and shoot it across? Maybe we can balance," I suggested.

"Where are we supposed to get rope?"

I threw my hands into the air. "Well then! We could... use a pear to signal some seagulls, then mind control them and use them to hit a switch to make a retractable bridge come out and walk across!"

"...I'm not sure how to respond to that," Zelda said, squinting across the drop at the door. "What about that eye? None of the other doors have had those."

"Hey! Maybe my fire whip can grab things and we can go all Indiana Jones on them and like swing across-"

"The eye, Link!" Zelda snapped impatiently. "I think it's a switch of some kind. I think we should-"

"We can fire whip it!" I cried happily. She glared at me.

"Fine. Since you're so smart, go ahead. Fire whip it."

"Maybe I will," I said, readying my wand. I drew it back to create the long strand of fire, then cracked it forward. The whip of fire hit the eye and didn't... do... anything. I looked back at Zelda, who had her arms crossed and was smirking triumphantly.

"Wanna hear my idea now?" she asked. I nodded, sticking my wand back in my belt. "I think if I shot an arrow at it, it would be hard enough to activate it and maybe a bridge will appear."

"Yeah! That's perfect!" I cried. It's more logical than the fire whip theory. She drew back her loaded bowstring, closed one eye to aim, then let the arrow fly. It struck in the dead center of the pupil, and the eye slid shut.

"Yeah!" I cheered.

Then the grate covering the door slid open.

We both stood in silence for quite some time, listening to the lone chirp of a cricket.

"You have got to be shittin' me." Zelda finally spoke, shattering the quiet. "You have got to be shittin' me! That's it? How are we supposed to get across?" she yelled. All we got was an angry echo in return.

I glanced down at the darkness below once again. That can't be it. There has to be some way to get across. Farore wouldn't just leave us at a dead end, would she? My hand started to burn. I could hear a jumbled stream of whispers, but somehow they formed one understandable voice.

_Walk. Summon your courage and walk forward. I will not let you fall, my child..._

I blinked and turned to Zelda. Her expression showed she had not heard the voice. I looked at the drop again. Walk? Am I seriously that dumb? Can I trust voices in my head? I took a deep breath. I took a step towards the drop.

"What are you doing?" Zelda demanded.

"Uh, walking. Duh," I responded evenly, trying to calm myself as I approached the ledge.

"Link! What are you doing! That's suicide!" Zelda cried, lunging for me.

"Z! Trust me! I just have this feeling," I said, yanking away from her. "I heard a voice, Zel. I think this is a test from the goddess. A measure of courage." Her beautiful blue eyes bore into mine, hard and unmoving as steel. Then they softened, and she looked away.

"I'll trust you. But if you fall, I'm jumping after you, you dumbass."

"Wouldn't that make you an equal dumbass?" I asked. A smile tugged at her lips.

"No, that makes me a hopeless romantic. Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, wrapping her arms around my waist. I nodded and pushed her away.

"Yes, now let me go before I change my mind."

I stood facing the cliff again. The moon was now rising, casting a soft silver glow. A sharp wind blew, making me shiver. The cliff didn't change. No magical bridge materialized out of thin air. No faeries came and offered to fly us across. It was still a broken, deep, dark cliff. My hand was burning, and the whispers were back. They were encouraging me, urging me forward. I felt a strong surge of bravery. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and stepped forward. My foot plunged downward.

And met solid ground. Zelda took in a sharp breath, and I opened one eye. I almost threw up. I was standing on nothing. My feet were literally on nothing. But it was hard and solid nothing. I turned back to Zelda and swallowed.

"W-well, let's go. Come on, " I stammered, beckoning to her. She slowly and cautiously stepped onto the invisible walkway, and step by step, hand in hand, we made it across the chasm of doom. I helped Zelda off the pathway of nothing first, then stepped off myself, thankful to be standing on solid, not translucent ground.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" Zelda cried, throwing her arms around me neck. "When you stepped down, I thought- thought you were falling! You-"

She stopped talking and leaned up and kissed me on the mouth. Her lips were soft. I gladly kissed her back, pinning her against the stone wall behind us. The kiss intensified, our mouths move in perfect synchrony. I ran my fingers through her tangled hair, savoring her touch, her kiss, her everything. My hand slid down lower from her waist, and she made a small noise. I took this as encouragement and ran my hand slowly past her waist, down further. Zelda pulled away, her face flushed, and looked up at me.

"I- go get the key, string bean. We still have work to do."

And she turned away from me and stood staring at the blackness below. I watched her for a minute, reliving that blissful minute, then turned and opened the chest. Inside was a large, ornate key similar to the one we found in the water place. I tucked it in my pocket next to the necklace, and called to Zelda.

"Hey, Miss Anti-Climax. Let's go."

She blushed and brushed past me to open the door before I did. This was the room before the last one, according to the map. And the last one is a round room.

We walked back inside and found ourselves in a large room. The floor we were standing on only extended for about a quarter of the room before dropping into a cliff. The last door was on the other side of the drop, locked and barred with three eyes above it. A giant red mushroom was on our half of the floor, growing right on the edge of the cliff. It didn't seem to have any relevant importance to the room.

"Well, first thing's first. Let's shoot the eyes," Zelda said, drawing her bow. She shot the first, then the second, then the third all in three quick motions. But nothing happened. All three eyes opened back up, and the door remained barred. Zelda frowned.

"Try shooting all three at once," I suggested.

"Three arrows at a time?"

She stared the door down for a moment, then grabbed three arrows from the quiver. She nocked all three of them, paying specific attention to where she was placing them. I'm pretty sure she was calculating trajectory angles too. Finally, she drew back the bowstring and squinted at her three targets. She adjusted the arrow positions slightly, then squinted back up at the eyes.

"Okay. I think I've got them," she said finally.

"I don't know, I think you should use the Pythagorean Theorem to triangulate their vertexes and-"

"Please shut up before you make yourself sound like even more of an idiot," Zelda said through gritted teeth. She was kissing me four minutes ago. Now she's calling me names again. Typical.

She let go of the bowstring, and the three arrows soared over the wide gap. The first two landed directly in the center of the eye, and the third one hit directly afterwards. The eyes closed, and the bars slid open. I grinned at Zelda and slapped her a high-five.

"Nice one, Princess!" I congratulated her. "Now we just need to figure out a way to get across a thirty foot crevice!"

"There might be another invisible path," Zelda said, walking to the edge and looking down. "Want me to check?"

Something clenched in my gut. I had a bad feeling, and I heard no whispers nor was my hand burning. "Zelda, I don't think-"

She took a step forward, then screamed as her foot met nothing. On pure reflex, fueled by adrenaline, I sprang forward. She had begun to fall, but my hand shot out and grabbed her arm. I bit down on my lip and struggled for better footing as I slowly began to pull her up. My grip on her arm was slipping, and I fumbled for a better hold on her. She was trembling like an earthquake, and her face was sheet white. I grabbed her other arm and hoisted her back up to the floor. She sank to her knees and hugged my legs crying.

"I am s-so stupid! I almost d-d-died! I should have- should have stuck my hand down there to t-test it!" she sobbed, clouting to my knees for dear life. I leaned down and brushed her hair out of her face.

"You are not stupid," I told her seriously. "You just made an assumption, and I was actually thinking the same thing until you suggested it, and it felt wrong. I- I'm alright, you're alright, we're alright." I almost choked on my last words. I could almost feel her small hands stroking my hair, whispering stories to me in the middle of the night assuring me that everything was going to be okay. I was being Aryll for Zelda.

"It was still d-dumb," she sniffed, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "And now we have no idea how to get across."

"We'll work it out. We always do," I said, standing back up and looking around. We crap. We have no way to get across. This is one of the many times where I wish I had a pocket jet-pack that unfolded to full size when you need it. That would be so convenient. My eyes rested on the mushroom. Why is it there? It's so useless! It's mocking me with its uselessness! I drew my sword and walked over to it. I swung at it, but I almost screamed as my blade rebounded and I was thrown backwards. I picked myself off the ground and examined the mushroom. My blade didn't even dent its surface. I poked it as a test, and it bounced a little. I grinned and climbed up on top of it. It wiggled and jiggled, and I laughed and started jumping.

"Hey! Zelda! Lookit me! It's like a trampoline or something!" I laughed. Zelda's eyes widened, and her eyes flicked to the other side. I could tell she was calculating something. Is she thinking she can jump from the mushroom to the door? I jumped to the ground and tried to judge the distance, My results were: no freaking way.

"If you're thinking you can jump that, then yes, you are stupid," I said, watching her carefully. She shook her head, then sank to the floor in the splits. What in the name of Nayru is she doing?

"Not jumping it. Vaulting it," she responded. She leaned over to touch her toes, and I winced at her flexibility.

"What do you mean 'vaulting'? Like pole vaulting?"

"No. Like gymnastic vaulting," she said, standing up and leaning down to touch the floor.

"You think you're going to jump from that and do a fancy flip and land on the other side?"

"Yup."

"No way. You're not doing that. Not if I can help it," I told her fiercely. She looked at me with a sadly.

"I'll tie you up," she told me with a sweet smile.

"And I'll fight you the whole time. You're not jumping," I said, walking over and grabbing her arms. She looked at me with an icy expression.

"Link, I let you find your invisible path. I willingly accepted that you might fall to your death. Now its your turn to have a little faith," she said, her eyes never leaving mine.

"I'll fall with you. I'll make sure that we're together if you fall," I told her, releasing her arms and turning away from her. "But you do promise that you won't fall?"

"I promise."

I still wouldn't look at her, and I crossed my arms irritably. "Well, get on with it. We've already wasted a lot of time, and we don't want to miss Aryll again."

"Fine. No need to be cranky, Mister Over-Protective."

I finally turned and watched her back all the way against the wall. She eyed the mushroom, then took a sprinting start, and launched herself from the mushroom. She went flying through the air, her hair whipping behind her. Her face was completely focused on the other side. Oh Farore, I don't think she'll make it. I clutch amy makuahine's necklace and watched her. She flipped a couple times to keep her momentum going, then corkscrewed probably just to show off, then flipped again and... Barely stuck the landing on the edge of the cliff. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding, and she turned to smile at me.

"I don't go back on promises. Remember that," she called. "No we have an issue. How the heck are you going to get across?"

Damn. Never thought about that.

"Um... I... can vault?" I suggested meekly.

"You'd die," she said flatly.

"Thanks, that really made me feel great."

"It wasn't supposed to. Wait..."

'Wait what?" I asked. Her gaze was fixed on something behind me.

"There's a switch really high up on the wall behind you. I wonder what it does," she said, drawing her bow.

"Watch it open a door and a bunch of stupid undead goblin things come trudging out. Only on my side though. Naturally, you'd be safe." I said dryly as she aimed upward.

I strained to look at where this supposed switch was, but I couldn't see it. Zelda let the arrow soar above me, and I heard the familiar twang of an arrow piercing an eye. That sounds so gross. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble, and the floors began to move. Retractable bridges were moving to meet in the middle and join the two floors. I let out a cheer and grinned at Zelda.

"Now I won't die attempting to vault!" I yelled happily, running across the new floor to meet Zelda.

"That would be tragic," she agreed with a small smile.

"I know. you wouldn't be able to get over me," I said, fishing the large key out of my pocket. I was like a puzzle. It only fit in the lock a certain way. I grunted in frustration as I tried twisting it and jamming it in the lock at various angles.

"Oh, yes. You are a once in a lifetime kind of guy," she said, taking the key from me and fitting it perfectly in the lock on her first try. I frowned at her.

"Was that sarcasm?"

"Take it how you want to," she said simply, smirking as she opened the door.

"I'll take it in the most loving way possible," I replied as we walked into the final room of this goddess-forsaken temple. It was very dark; the only source of light was a crack I'm the ceiling in the center of the room. As far as I could see, the room was empty. The door shut behind us, the boom resounding through the room. Zelda frowned, and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Hold these," she instructed handing me her bow and quiver. "I'm going to check the map. Last time I checked, the person who had it last scribbled something about a monster in here."

I took her weapons and continued to look around. I could feel _something _in here. _Something_ evil was lurking in the shadowy outskirts of this room. And then I heard it. The laugh. That same laugh I heard ten years ago on that fateful day. I froze and could feel my heart beating faster and my blood running cold. I saw his eyes first. The same hideous orange eyes. The rest of him came into view as he stepped into the light. It surrounded him like a spotlight. He smirked at my expression, and I began to breathe faster.

"It- it can't be you! I- you- you died!" I stuttered, stumbling back a bit. Zelda squeezed my shoulder, but I didn't look back at her. I was focused on the man. That horrible, awful man.

"Look at how much you've grown," the man said, ignoring my comment. His eyes slid up and down my body, and I was shaking as he did so. "You've gotten so tall. You look so much like your mother. But you have your father's eyes. I remember how your father's eyes looked full of fear, diluted with death..."

"S-stop!" I choked out. "How are you here?"

"My master has power greater than death, young Hero. Or what do they say on Outset? Me'e is hero, I believe. Funny how your mother called you that. Your beloved makuahine," he sneered, mocking me. "It's almost like she knew, don't you think?"

"You're not real! You're dead!" I screamed at him. This wasn't happening. He wasn't here.

"Oh, but I am here. I'm not dead. What's wrong, me'e? Can't handle seeing an old friend? I knew your parents so well... People like to talk before they die..." he trailed off, grinning at me. "They came to see me often, you know. Bargaining for your life. They knew who you were. Do you know what they offered for your safety?"

"Stop talking!" my voice was a whisper now, thick with tears threatening to fall. I heard Zelda gasp behind me, but I didn't turn to look at her. I couldn't.

"They offered _everything. _Their house. All their money. Their lives. I turned them all down. But I couldn't get to you, because as long as they were around, you would be protected. So I killed them. Slowly of course. But that was the day when little Link decided to follow his mommy and daddy to work..."

_He heard the screams before he got to the cave. The blood-chilling, ear-piercing screams. He ran faster, trying to get there to see, but regretted it when he did. There they were fallen, in pieces, at the feet of a man. He smiled at Link, holding his bloody sword..._

He laughed harshly. "Poor, poor Link. Children shouldn't have to see their parents lying in pools of their own blood. Children shouldn't see their parents crumpling around a blade. Poor, poor Link."

Tears were streaming down my face now. "Stop it! Please, stop it!" I cried.

"Oh, I've made you cry now, haven't I? Is this a sensitive subject? It is for me too. I did die that day, after all. Death isn't a pleasant thing, believe me. Ask your parents, I'm sure they could tell you- oh, wait. Your parents are dead," he said with a short bark of laughter. "And to think they did it to save you. You must be some special kid. Do you know what your father said before he died?"

"I don't want to know! Don't tell me!" I managed to say weakly. I was pleading him.

"'Tell him I love him. I hope he keeps singing.' Nothing about me, no cries for mercy like normal. Both of them. They prayed for their children," he spat.

I hope he keeps singing. I choked out another sob and shook my head. "P-please s-stop!" I begged. He smiled at me sadly.

"Little orphan Link. What a tragic story. I'd love to stay and tell it all to you detail by detail and watch you wriggle like a worm on a hook, but unfortunately I must go. Hopefully my friend will keep you occupied for a while, and oh, you might want to save the girl. Bye, me'e! I hope we get to talk again!" he cackled. And he disappeared just like that girl from the last temple.

I was still crying. It was him. He was here. He was alive. He killed my parents. I- I killed him. I killed him at age six. It was a lucky swing with a sword, a one in a million shot...

I heard a small scuttle behind me. I turned slowly, wiping my eyes on my tunic sleeve. Zelda wasn't there. But there was a giant spider foaming at the mouth, holding a large bundle of spider's silk. My heart nearly stopped and I backed away slowly, fumbling for some kind of weapon as I did so. _A spider injects venom into their victims. causing either paralysis or death. The spider then wraps its prey into a bundle and drinks it insides right away or saves it for a snack later..._

"Zelda..." I croaked. And the spider lunged for me, another stinger ready to inject me with poison. I jumped to the side, barely avoiding paralysis and/or spider hissed and turned away from me, scuttling to the ceiling above. Crap. I kept my focus up on the ceiling, watching the glowing red eye... It jumped down at me again, and I dove baseball-style out of the way. The spider screeched and began to spit something from its mouth towards me. Probably poisonous, but I'm not going to find out. I rolled to avoid the spray and jumped to my feet watching the spice crawl back to the ceiling. Grabbing the bow and clumsily nocking an arrow, I pulled the bowstring back, took aim, and let the projectile fly.

It hit the spider's back, and it screeched and fell to the floor. I had been aiming for the eye, but this worked too. I ran towards the squirming spider, drew my sword, and began to slice at the eyeball. It shrieked and recovered, flipping back over and rearing back to spray poison at me. I ducked and allowed the spray to go over me. I stood back to full height as it began climbing to the ceiling again. I drew the bow, took aim again, and... Missed. Cussing, I loaded another arrow and shot again. This time I hit the back of the neck, if spiders even have necks. It fell again, and I pounced on it with my sword. Killing things is enjoyable when you've got emotions built up inside you. As disturbing as I felt, I slashed repeatedly at its weak point, not allowing it to get back up. Finally, I jumped up and landed a blow to its heart, savoring its final screech and watching it go limp.

I quickly pulled my blade out and ran to the white bundle.

"Zelda!"

I tore at the surprisingly strong silk, clawing away at the cocoon that concealed her. I ripped off layer after layer, until I felt skin. I tore faster, uncovering more and more of her like an archeological dig, until she was all visible. I pulled her away from the last strands of the sticky spider silk and held her head in my lap. She was so pale and still, like a corpse. My tears were back, running down my nose and splashing onto her cheeks.

"Zelda!" I screamed again, shaking her. I felt for a pulse... Nothing. Panicking, I thought back to health class. Cardiovascular pulmonary resuscitation. CPR. Thirty quick compressions to the chest and two breaths. I quickly pressed my hands to her chest and pressed down, counting to thirty. Then I tilted her chin back, placed my mouth against hers and breathed twice, watching her chest rise and fall. Her lips were cold. I was back to compressions. Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty. Two breaths, in out. Back to compressions...

And she coughed, suddenly sputtering back to life. She was still unconscious, but she was alive. Her chest rose up and down, and her heart was once again beating in a steady rhythm. I let out a relieved sigh, and collapsed on the floor next to her. She's all I have left. If she died, I don't know what I would do. Maybe I would die. I was breathing heavily, and my eyes were still watery. She was alive. But so was he. He was here. He had been watching me. He will come for me. I started shaking uncontrollably again, purely out of sheer terror.

I heard Zelda stir beside me, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, you. It's alright," Zelda murmured from behind me. I turned and enveloped her in a hug.

"I am so sorry," I whispered. "I should have been watching you. It should have been me. I am so sorry!" I whispered, stroking her hair.

"Don't be. You were caught up in the moment. That man, he... He was the one who..."

"K-killed my parents. Yes," I said as evenly as I could. She was silent for a while.

"I am so sorry. No wonder you didn't notice me being bitten by a spider. That's emotionally scarring. Did he hurt you? What happened?"

I cried like a baby. "No, he just... talked. Then left. And I killed the spider. And gave you CPR." And cried like a baby again.

"Well, good job with the spider. And the CPR. That's probably what saved me," she said. She noticed the quiver slung over my shoulder. "You used the bow?" she asled, slightly surprised. I nodded.

"And I wasn't too bad either. I only missed once," I told her proudly. She smiled and staggered to her feet, taking the bow and the quiver back from me and picking her backpack up off the floor where she probably dropped it.

"Maybe you are the best bowman in Hyrule and I am holding you back. I apologize," she said.

"Ready to get the hell away from this goddess forsaken hellhole and find Aryll?" I asked, gesturing to a shady door at the other end of the room.

"Please. You don't have to ask me twice," she said, slightly limping over to the door.

We opened it to find another spring, not unlike the first one. This one was also empty. The dawn was just starting to break, lighting the sky up pink and purple with streaks of orange cutting through the indigo of night. I suddenly realized how exhausted I was. I haven't slept in two days. We stepped into the warm, clear waters of the spring, and once again, part of Zelda's necklace lit up. I wonder if its tradition that the Princess has all the light spirits? The small glass teardrop shattered, and golden light spilled out of it, taking the shape of a monkey/chinchilla creature. It regarded us with emotionless eyes and spoke.

_Brave youths, I am Faron, spirit of this spring. I was imprisoned in that charm by the one from the desert. Thank you for freeing me from that cage._

Zelda looked at her necklace, dumbfounded. "I just got that pendant!" she cried indignantly. "It was from my father." The spirit seemed to tense when she said father, but it continued smoothly.

_The one whom you seek, the girl called Aryll, has already retrieved what she had set out to retrieve from my temple. Continue to Eldin Providence and seek out my brother at the spring there. Your sister will be traveling there next._

"We missed her again?" I asked. The spirit nodded its head.

_She left through that hallway, which leads to Hyrule Field. Eldin is south of there. I'm afraid that is all I can tell you; I do not know her whereabouts now. But I can tell you to be careful from now on. This has all been a taste of what's to come. War is brewing. The dark armies are readying to attack the domains of Hyrule, and even the castle itself. Enemies will be fiercer. Stakes will be higher. And always be on guard. You never know who you'll meet in a war._

I looked at the hallway he spoke of. We have to walk? At least the other guy transported us.

"Thank you, Faron, for your advice. We're going to leave now to search for his sister," Zelda said, taking my arm and dragging me with her. "There's no real point in us staying to chat," she whispered to me.

The spirit did not respond, but simply turned away and closed its eyes. I was ready to get out of this place. Ready to leave the legions of monsters and the constant terror and the giant spiders and get away from _him. _He was the most terrifying part. And he could be watching me now, as I walk with Zelda through this dank hallway. He could be waiting for me at the end of the tunnel, or he could already be at Eldin. This whole thing is a test. And I think I'm starting to fail.

* * *

><p>He opened the door for Aryll and Navi as soon as Link and Zelda were out of sight down the passage to Hyrule field. It was so weird, Sheik thought, like a big game of hide and seek or cat and mouse. They had to stay hidden and behind them, no matter how much they wished to talk to them. Faron, a big golden monkey, looked up as they entered. Sheik gawked at the sight of the spirit. He radiated light and power, and seemed to have an air of wisdom to him.<p>

_Welcome, Hylia, Sheik, and Navi. I have been waiting for you._

Aryll nodded and curtsied. Sheik didn't like referring to her as Hylia. He called her 'Your Grace' out of respect, but it seemed so odd to call Aryll Carstairs, his best friend's kid sister, a goddess. It just wash;t right.

"Thank you for covering for us, Faron. And I'm glad to see you're free. But why didn't you tell them the name of your capturer? Why hide from them the identity of the Dark King?" Aryll asked.

_The Princess was raised by the Dark King. I didn't want her to find out quite yet that her supposed father is the King of Evil. The time is not right._

Zelda's dad wasn't her dad? Sheik frowned in confusion. Zelda's not-real dad was the bad guy, Aryll was a goddess, Link was the Hero, Zelda was the Princess, he was some warrior guide... His head hurt from the constantly thickening plot of the whole scheme. The details never seemed to end.

"I see," Aryll replied. "Well, I obtained the Kokiri Emerald, but I need to purify myself in your spring's water. I-" she turned to face Sheik, her cheeks red. "Can you... Look away please?" she asked. Sheik also flushed, but laughed and nodded.

"Of course Ar- Your Grace. Whatever you wish."

He turned his back on the spring and listened as he heard Aryll wading into the spring's waters. This was all so weird. Just two days ago, he'd been at home playing video games with his sister who was home from college. And now he was here. She was probably worried. He'd left a note, but a note didn't do anything to cushion the blow that he wasn't there and might not be coming back. And his parents... Sheik bit his lip.

It wasn't like this was a surprise. His aunt had told him at a young age that he was destined to guard the Sky Goddess Hylia.

He just didn't expect it to happen like this.

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><p><strong>Whoa, long chapter. It's done though, that's the important thing! Sorry once again for the long update! But I got action in, and I even got some fluff in, so I hope you can all forgive me ;)<strong>

**1. Paki means squirt, me'e is hero, makuahine is mother, makua kane is father all in Hawaiian**

**2. Sorry the first half was rushed, I just really didn't want to write another full temple!**

**3. Zant is evil**

**4. I love Aryll and Sheik!**

**Okay. Again, I would like a beta reader! Please let me know if you are interested! Thanks for reading, and hey, if you've been reading this, don't hesitate to review! I'd really appreciate it if you would take a couple seconds out of your day just to say "Good job," or "This part needs work." It means a lot to me, and they keep me motivated! Thanks guys!**

**~Leila**


	23. Chapter 22

**I was really excited to write this chapter. Really, really excited. I hope you guys enjoy it too. Thank you so much for the SIX people who offered to beta read! Being me, I felt horrible choosing one person, so I hope none of you are mad! I have plenty of ideas ready for beta readers! I promise! And, I changed the cover picture thing, which I think that the fact that you can have covers is so cool! But I really like the picture, I think it represents my story well, and it's a bit of foreshadowing :)**

**Jupsi: Thanks for the info about the bow and arrows! I haven't shot one in so long, like not since sixth grade, so thank you! I'll change that!**

**Thanks to Blossom-Strawberry16 (MY 300TH REVIEWER! :)), Zolias, Yoirs, StattStatt, MistyMilkshakeBoss, Linknificant, BlueMonkeyDoll, Lauparisi, CJEllison, Mystery-chan, ShadowNinja1011, Kamil the Awesome, DarkOppressor, prien12, pyrosavvy5, ScRamb1ed, Uzuki Cheverie and Morumotto-chi!**

**Thanks so much guys Seriously, thanks again! Enjoy!**

**~Leila**

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><p>Chapter Twenty Two (King Matthew)<p>

Hyrule Castle is a truly beautiful place. Hundreds of acres, hunting grounds, riding trails, horse stables, fishing ponds, and lovely gardens sporting every kind of flower imaginable. Thousands of people come from miles around to enjoy the scenery of the castle grounds, and learn of the history. They come to visit the extensive public library, ruins from the original castle long ago, and see beautiful historical relics showcased behind glass. Hyrule Castle is visited by many and adored by all.

All except their own King.

I sat slumped in my throne, propping my elbow up on the arm of the chair and laying my face in my hand out of boredom. Every once in a while, a noble or advisor will pass by, and I'll immediately straighten up, but as soon as they exit the room, I slide back down in my seat and resume counting cracks on the ceiling. So far I've counted one thousand, seven hundred and thirty three, and that's just today.

I suppose it's better than pretending to pay attention in a council meeting, or acting pleasant and proper at a party with a bunch of stuck-up nobles. But I hate it anyway. I want to be outside and away from the gray castle walls that have acted as my prison for the past eleven years. I long to feel the sun's warmth on my face and the soft grass beneath my feet.

But that is never happening. Never, ever again.

"We can't have a repeat of what happened to your sisters, Matthew," they say. "Think of the people. They'd be devastated. What would they do without you?"

_They could do a lot without me,_ I thought bitterly. _A hell of a lot more than I do now. _I can't go out because of the murders of my two younger sisters, Syrella and Zelda. They never found the bodies.

I can't stand the looks people still give me. I can read their faces as plain as a book, like the words are written right there. _Poor boy, forced into such a stressful position at such a young age. Lost his mother, then his father, then his sisters, just like that. Poor, poor boy. He must be so sad._

I usually am mostly content with being shut in the castle. Mostly. There have always been things I've wanted to do over the years but wasn't allowed to. Street hockey games, going to the beach, baseball, just going outside... the list is endless. And I've put up with it. For eleven years. But during the Goddess Festival, when I wasn't allowed to go celebrate with the rest of the town for the eleventh year in a row, I had lost it.

_"I'm twenty three years old! I'm not a little boy, and I'm not helpless!"_

_"Your Majesty, you know perfectly well it's for your own safety."_

_"I can defend myself! I'm not a child!"_

_"You're acting like one! You can not handle the dangers of the streets!"_

_"Because I've never been on the streets! You made sure of that! How would I know what street dangers are?"_

_"Matthew Daphnes Link Nohansen Hyrule! You will not be leaving this castle and that is final!"_

_"I'm the King here, not you! What if I ordered you to let me?"_

_"This is concerning your safety, Your Majesty! Now you're really acting like a child. I'll have some guards escort you to your room. Good night."_

But I went anyway. I wore a mask and snuck out by climbing down some vines under my balcony. I did it for all four nights, and that is the reason there are now double guards out my window, two guards actually standing on my balcony, and one guard that must accompany me at all times. I was lectured and yelled at and was even locked in my room for a week, all for safety, of course, but it was still worth it. And I met someone. A girl named Zelda.

_"How are you this evening?" I asked as we turned. She smiled._

_"Very well, sir. And you?"_

_"Very, very well!" I exclaimed. She laughed a little._

_"Why is that?"_

_"It's a secret," I said. I'm not just going to tell her I'm the King of Hyrule who is sneaking out of the castle. Then I frowned. She looked really, really familiar. "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. What's your name, my fair lady?" I asked._

_"Zelda. And what might your name be?"_

_My heart stopped. Zelda. Zelda. Princess Zelda. My sister, they never found the body... I opened my mouth to ask her a thousand questions, when we were pulled apart._

_"Mattie!" I called as a last-ditch effort. "My name is Mattie!"_

I watched her all night. She was the last in the circle and was blessed by Din with some boy. They both left soon after, and I had returned to the castle. I never usually sleep well at night anyway, but that night I didn't sleep at all. Her name had been Zelda. She had my little sister's eyes and smile. She looked roughly the age she should be. Zelda would have turned seventeen this past Princess day. Despite everything obvious that pointed against that girl being my sister, I was hopeful. Giddy even. I didn't find her on Farore's day, but I met her again on Nayru's day.

_"Fancy seeing you here again."_

_She whirled around, surprised, then smiled at me._

_"Hello again," she greeted me politely._

_"Hello. Zelda, wasn't it?" I asked. I knew her name. How could I not? She nodded._

_"That's me. The one and only," she joked. The one and only. I sure hope so._

_"I knew a girl named Zelda once. Do you have any family?" I asked. Maybe she remembers me, or Sissy, or Mother or Father..._

_"I do. I live with my father."_

_I frowned. "Your father? Any siblings?"_

_"Nope. I'm an only child," she said. I was about to press her a bit further, when I saw two castle guards casually walking our way._

_"It was a pleasure speaking to you tonight, but if anyone asks you, I was never here," I said, backing away slowly from the guards, trying to avoid their attention. And I ran off, leaving her alone._

It was obviously not her. It couldn't have been. My Zelda is dead. But it still hurt a lot. It was like losing all of them all over again. I will never forget the expression on the royal advisor's face as he approached me that day. _"Matthew, as I'm sure you know, your sisters went off castle grounds today, and they... they, um... they..."_

I clenched my hands into fists and dug my nails into my skin to keep myself from crying. Kings don't cry.

I stuck my hand into my pocket and fingered the ocarina's surface like I often do when I'm upset or frustrated. The ocarina was my mother's. She played it for me when I was young, and I played it for Zelda and Sissy. Zelda especially liked listening to me play. I remember how we'd sit in the gardens, the white rose one, her favorite, and she'd lay her head in my lap and I'd play for her. Always a certain song, a sweet, slow tune that always, no matter what, put her to sleep.

We called it Zelda's Lullaby.

I remember when my mother gave the ocarina to me. She told me the stories of the Hero of Time, and how he used this ocarina to travel between time and worlds. She pressed it into my hand and told me to never, ever let anyone else use it or touch it. And I never have. Not one of my attendants or advisors know I have it. If I play it at all, it's late at night when no one in their right mind is awake. I love playing the beautiful instrument, but it always reminds me of my mother and Zelda and Sissy. My music sessions usually end in tears.

The ocarina is powerful. I can feel it in the notes. Power hums like an undertone to the music, stronger some nights, fainter others. Recently, it's been stronger than ever, throbbing with every note. Music sounds darker now, like it's warning me of danger coming near...

"Your Majesty!"

I bolted upright and let the ocarina fall back to the bottom of my pocket. A guard, his face obscured by his helmet, ran up to me, breathing heavily.

"Yes?" I asked tentatively. His expression looked oddly... scared.

"A-a man approaches the throne room, Your Majesty," he stammered, glancing back towards the open entrance to the throne room. I sighed and resisted rolling my eyes. Every butterfly that passes near the throne room is branded a threat and shot from the sky.

"And this is a problem because...?" I asked, carefully keeping the sarcasm out of my tone.

"He-he..." he trailed off, his eyes widening as a figure entered the throne room.

The entire room became silent. The birds didn't sing, the crickets didn't sing, and not a word was spoken. This man was unlike anyone I'd ever seen in my life. His dark, tanned skin revealed he was one of the desert-folk, a Gerudo. He walked with such confidence; you'd think he owned the place. His golden eyes seemed to burn straight through me, and I suddenly felt like the child everyone tells me I am.

He looked me up and down with an amused expression on his face, like he was deciding how to cut a piece of meat. I gulped and regained a thread of courage and sat upright in my throne, never breaking eye contact with my new visitor.

"State your business please, sir," I said, my voice radiating confidence and power like I was taught. Everything in my life has been dictated. I have to talk in a certain way, sit in a certain way, wear a certain expression, even eat in a certain way. Every little thing I do has to show no fear no matter what I feel on the inside.

"I come just to talk," he told me with a voice like thunder. He smiled, revealing very pointed canine teeth.

"Just to talk," I repeated slowly.

"Yes, can you find time in your busy schedule for just a few moments of conversation? But the matters I wish to discuss are grown up topics, if you can handle it, Matthew," he said with a smirk.

I felt anger brewing inside me. Not only did he call me by my actual name, but he made fun of my age and hurt me personally with the "busy schedule" remark.

"You will address me with respect," I ordered through gritted teeth.

"As you wish. Nevertheless, I have come here as a warning. War is brewing, Matthew. An army waits to the west of this city. At my command, they will march and will be on your doorstep within a day."

I heard a guard gasp. Concealing any emotion I was feeling, I subtly signaled for a guard to get back up. This man is dangerous. "Why do you tell me this? You eliminated whatever upper hand you had. What is your point in informing me of this supposed attack?" I asked.

He smiled again. "I tell you because frankly, I don't want to attack you. I have a favor to ask of you, see, and if you cooperate, there will be no need for any attack."

"So you're blackmailing me," I said bluntly.

"Yes, I suppose you could call it that. But it's a simple favor, nothing to get all worked up about," he assured me. I noticed how his eyes flashed when he spoke, and he began tugging at the end of his long black cloak. Traits of a liar. There's something he's not telling me.

"If it's such a small favor, then why threaten me with an army?" I asked. He blanched, but quickly regained his composure and smiled again.

"You are quite bright, you know. I know only one other person who may outshine you in a competition of intelligence," he told me.

"You're avoiding my question."

He sighed. "Matthew, it really is nothing. Nothing at all. All I ask is to borrow the ocarina."

My heartbeat quickened and every fiber of my being screamed _"Don't give it to him!"_ I heard murmurs of confusion amongst the guards, but I payed them no attention. My gaze was still locked with the man's. "What ocarina?"

He let out a short, cold bark of laughter. "Do not play dumb with me, boy. You know exactly what I am talking about."

"Please, enlighten me."

His golden eyes narrowed into slits like a snake's. "I don't like this attitude, but since you seem to be having issues remembering, I'll help you," he hissed. "The Ocarina of Time was created by a race of people living in the skies. When the sky people came to the empty earth, the Ocarina was given to the first Princess of the land and was passed down through generations to the oldest child of the Royal Family. Then, a young princess gave the Ocarina to the Hero of Time in an attempt to defeat evil. He used the Ocarina to travel from place to place, and even through time. Then, when peace was restored, the Princess sued it to send the Hero back to his own time. The Ocarina has been passed down through the family ever since."

"Oh._ That_ ocarina," I said, hoping I sounded defiant. I must have, because the man looked like he internally exploded.

"Yes, _that_ ocarina! I need to borrow it, if you please, and if all goes smoothly, I shall return it back to you soon!" he cried, his calm wall crumbling.

"What are you planning to do with it?" I demanded. He smiled.

"I plan to play a song. What else would I do with it?"

"You can go buy your own! Why bother me when there's plenty of music shops right here in town?"

"I need that specific ocarina, and I need to play it in a certain spot. I've heard of a song that can grant you greatest wish, and more than anything, I want my dead wife back," he said, his eyes watering a bit with his last words.

For a second, my heart stopped. He had struck a soft spot for me.

"I..." I began. Then I saw his hand still fiddling with his cape and his feet slightly shift position. My glare returned. A tear fell from his eye and onto the marble floor.

"Is there anything else?" I asked quietly. He nodded, producing a tissue and dabbing at his eyes.

"You see, only one person can play the ocarina in order for the magic to work," he told me.

"And who would that be?"

"You."

"Absolutely not!" an advisor called, marching in with a line of soldiers behind him. The man didn't flinch at all or look the least bit scared. The guards filed in silently and formed a large circle around the man, blocking all exits. The man kept his eyes trained on me and didn't appear to notice any of the activity around him.

"You know what I think? I think you're a liar. Whatever you have planned, it doesn't involve bringing a dead wife back. Sorry, but I think I might have to decline your offer," I said coldly.

"Think rationally, Matthew. Is not playing one song for me really worth the destruction of your kingdom and the safety of your people? It's a simple choice, really. You're a smart boy, and I trust you to make the smart choice," he said softly, like he was speaking to a child.

"I said no," I repeated, an edge creeping into my voice. A fire instantly blazed to life in his eyes.

"Wrong choice, Your Majesty!" he hissed, venom dripping from his last two words. "Have you ever wondered why you're the last of your family to survive? Because I needed you alive for this very task! I could have finished you all off!"

"W-what are you saying?" I gasped, shocked at his words. He can't possibly, he can't be...

"Your mother died conveniently of childbirth, so I had nothing to do with that one. Your father died of a mysterious illness. Fine one day, dead the next. What could have possibly caused that?" he asked, tapping his chin like he was thinking.

"Poison," I whispered. He grinned and clapped his hands together. I heard whispers, gasps and mutters ran through the guards and advisors, spreading like a fire.

"Yes! You are a bright little boy, aren't you, _Mattie_? And Syrella. My assassin shot her through the back with an arrow. We dumped her body off the cliffs," he continued, relishing every word.

I felt sick. "Stop."

"And last, little Zelda. Little Princess Zelda," he said, dragging out every last letter. "She was your favorite, wasn't she?"

"So what if she was! She's dead!" I yelled, standing up.

"I suppose in a metaphorical sense she is. The little, innocent six year old you knew so well is dead and gone. Princess Zelda has ceased to exist." He paused and his voice dropped lower. "If you could see her again, would you cooperate with me?"

"What are you saying?" I asked carefully.

He chuckled and began circling me like a wolf circles pray. "I'm saying that your sister, Princess Zelda, is not dead."

I temporarily stopped breathing, and I head soldiers gasp behind me. That girl at the Festival. It _was _her. "You're toying with me," I managed to say, my voice shaky.

"No. On that wonderful day, she hit her head on a rock, and I prevented her from being killed like her sister. I took her in and raised her as my own. She's been living in this very city for eleven years, right under your nose. She's doing quite well, I believe. But she calls me 'Papa' and doesn't know who you are," he told me with a wide, evil smile.

I was at a loss for words. Zelda. My little sister Zelda. She's alive. Alive. A-L-I-V-E. Breathing. Well. I opened my mouth to reply, but at that moment, the advisor let out a yell of anger and charged the man. My eyes widened as I saw the man catch him by the throat and suspend him in midair.

"See, Matthew, I don't think you know what you're up against," he said. His voice sounded strange and distant. I kept my gaze locked on the choking advisor. He had graying red hair and piercing blue eyes. I remember playing with his son when I was younger.

"Wait, just a second and please-"

The man's hand jerked, there was a sick snapping sound, and the man fell limp in his grasp. My eyes widened as he discarded the body like a piece of trash.

"I could kill you now, Matthew. I would kill you now. I would have killed your sister too, but I needed her. And I need you," he snarled, looking at me once more.

"You're a monster!" I yelled, my eyes wide with horror. My hand went to the sword hanging around my waist.

"And you're childish. I came in here to be peaceful, yet you turn it into an argument. Just like a child. You know, your sister was more mature at age eight than you are now," he chuckled. "Some King you are. You're still a little boy!"

I snapped. I charged at the man, my sword pointed straight at his heart. He looked at me with a bored expression, then smiled as my blade went through his chest. And I gasped as he disappeared around my blade. He was gone.

I was dumbfounded. How can a person disappear? He never really was here! He wasn't going to take his chances with all the soldiers, and sent that... Hallucination, doppelgänger, whatever that was! I turned towards the guards, trying to find something, anything to say to them to reassure them. We have a dead man on the floor, war on the horizon, and he'll be back. I didn't give him what he wanted, and I have a feeling that the next time he comes, he won't give me the luxury of coming by free will. I opened my mouth, when a shout rang through the hall.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

A young messenger burst into the room, breathing heavily, and stooped in a low bow. I exhaled and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. This is Talo, one of the newest messengers. He's only fifteen and has this horrible habit of making everything sound like a huge deal. The first day on the job, he burst into a room full of nobles unannounced and began describing this horrible, violent battle he was in. Nobles and advisors were panicking and I was ready to call war, and his finishing statement was "That is the most amazing video game EVER!" I almost threw him off a balcony.

"What is it, Talo? I'm kind of in the middle of something-"

"Two people are here and they say they need to see you! They say it's urgent!" he interrupted. Two people? Are they minions of that man here for me?

"Don't let them-"

"Your Majesty."

I heard the new voice behind me. I whirled around to face the newcomers. An older man, with a white beard and blue eyes stood next to a thin, fit looking woman wearing traditional Sheikah battle gear. I frowned and glared at Talo, who smiled and chirped,

"Here they are! I let them in already because they said it was urgent, and urgent things are important! Also, I-"

"Talo. Be quiet!" I snapped. I turned to face the potential threats. "Who are you?"

"Your Majesty, I am Impa. I meant to be here sooner, but I was sidetracked. Do not worry…I am not your enemy. I know of your predicament, and I am here to help you," the woman, Impa, said. I relaxed my tense posture, but left my hand on the hilt of my sword.

"I am Rauru, Sage of Light. We have met before, but you were considerably younger," the man said with a smile. I remember him. He met with my father often. I took my hand off my sword and inclined my head towards him in a slight bow.

"Pleased to have you here, Impa and your honor, Sage of Light," I said. My head was hurting. Too many things didn't make sense right now. Zelda. Dead advisor. War. Zelda.

"Your Majesty, the man you were dealing with is named Ganondorf. His claims of an army to the west are true; I have recently been in the area and saw the army myself. I came here as soon as I could," Impa told me.

"What am I supposed to do? He'll be back, and there's war, and I-"

Impa held up a hand to silence me. Her red eyes were understanding. "You are afraid. I understand; you are young. But I have come as a messenger, if you will. Something bigger than a war on Hyrule is at play right now, and you have a large role in it. You determine whether the scales tip towards good or evil. Both sides need you to accomplish the same goal, and Ganondorf will not rest until you are in his hands."

"What is this all about? What are you trying to accomplish?" I cried. Impa pressed her lips together and her eyes flickered to the crowd of guards listening behind me.

"Can we talk privately?" she asked. I nodded and waved my hands at the guards.

"Dismissed."

They shuffled out silently, leaving me with Impa, Rauru, and the corpse. His glassy eyes were fixed straight up, gazing at the heavens. I shuddered and turned away.

"Matthew, you know the stories of the Triforce, correct?" Rauru asked. I nodded.

"Of course. Who doesn't?"

"Yes…Well, Ganondorf seeks to obtain this power, to enter the realm in which it is kept and take it for his own," Rauru explained. "In order to do this, he needs the three Bearers of the Triforce's power, the Six Sages, a goddess, and you. A song must be played to open the realm, and the only instrument that can be used is the Ocarina of Time. And only the oldest in the Royal Family can play the song. And that happens to be you."

"Obtain the Triforce?" I asked, my head swimming. "How…what... How can he get a goddess?"

"That's where we come in. The goddess Hylia knew she could defend the Triforce if she got there first. But no goddess can enter the Triforce realm. Only a human can. So she incarnated herself into the body of a human and is now traveling across the land, obtaining the three sacred objects she needs to open the realm. And again, the fourth thing she needs is you to play a song. If she gets there, good wins. Evil will be obliterated, and everything will return to normal. If she fails..." Impa trailed off.

"Everything will be destroyed. Wars will break out, and Ganondorf will have control over everything and everyone. We will dwell in darkness with no light, and even the goddesses themselves will be powerless to stop him," Rauru finished for Impa.

"I... I'd say I don't understand, but it makes perfect sense. I just…I'm..." I trailed off.

"Overwhelmed," Impa finished. "I understand. But Matthew, you need to come with me. I was chosen to guide you to the Triforce realm safely, where we will hopefully meet the goddess. And we need to leave now. Darkness is growing stronger, and if we wait it will be too late."

My head was pounding. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that when I opened them everything would go away. But I still saw Rauru and Impa, looking at me expectantly. I let out a yell of frustration.

"I can't leave! I have war on my hands! I need to be here! I need to show the people that I am here for them, and I have to strategize, and this sucks, and I don't know!" I cried, biting my lip to keep from crying like a stupid child.

"We know you need to be here. But you also need to be with me," Impa said.

"And that's where I come in," Rauru chimed in. "I have an easy solution to this problem, but it is very taxing. It drains your energy; you will be exhausted both mentally and physically, and it takes a very strong will. Can you handle it?" he asked.

"Handle what?"

"We are proposing to use magic," Impa said slowly. "Rauru knows a spell that when preformed correctly will... split you in two, if you will. You will be duplicated, but you will share one mind. You will control both of yourselves, and you have to split you mind in half to be able to control both beings at once."

"It is a big choice to make, and we have so little time. You will still be you, and we can undo it when it's all over, but I will warn you: it isn't easy. You have to learn to master yourself as well as your _dimidium_, your half. I'm sorry to push this on you now, but you either choose staying, going, or both at once. We have little time, Matthew," Rauru urged.

I was breathing heavily. Split my soul in half? Split my entire being in _half_? The whole spell sounds dangerous to me. But then, I have war on one hand and saving the world on the other. War, and destiny. This is all too much. I can't do this. I can't focus, and I can't decide. I don't know what to do, why couldn't someone else do this for me?

"If it helps, Matthew, your sister Zelda is out there right now. She possesses the Triforce of Wisdom, and Ganondorf is hunting for her as we speak. If you get to the Triforce realm and help Hylia, Zelda will not have to fight or get hurt. Ganondorf will be destroyed, and she will be safe. You can see her again," Impa told me in a hushed tone.

Zelda. My little sister, back from the dead. She has the Triforce of Wisdom? Damn Impa and her manipulating skills! I was torn, split. What do I do? I need to stay for my people, but apparently I have to go for the world. And I could see Zelda again... I made up my mind. I'm already split in half now, what would the difference be if I was split physically?

"Alright. Do it," I said, not looking at either of them. A smile spread across Impa's face, and Rauru let out a breath of relief.

"Are you sure, Your Majesty? There's no turning back right now, and I don't want you-"

"Please…just do it before I change my mind."

Rauru nodded. "As you wish. Impa, stand back."

The Sheikah woman nodded and did as instructed. Rauru closed his eyes and began chanting quickly in a old language I didn't know. I understood a few fleeting words here and there, but I couldn't make out everything. _Half. Soul. Two beings, one mind. Division. Body._

I was suddenly frozen solid. I couldn't move. A bright light engulfed my body, and an excruciating pain raced through my body. I arched my back and screamed as the pain intensified. My head felt like it was splitting. Every fiber of my body felt like it was being ripped apart and undone...  
>And as suddenly as it began, it was done. The pain faded away, and the light dissipated quickly.<p>

Shivering, I opened my eyes. My heart was racing, and I was breathing heavily. Impa and Rauru looked at me with concerned expressions, but I wasn't looking at them. I was looking at the third person that had joined us in the room.

I was looking at myself.

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><p><strong>I really like Matthew as a character. I'm excited for his parts in this! And the dead advisor's son will have a part in this... I love this chapter! Sorry if you guys were wanting more Zelda and Link... They're next!<strong>

**1. One of Matthew's middle names is Link, because I figured the Royal Family would want to honor the Hero and every male member of the family would have a middle name be Link.**

**2. Dimidium means half in Latin**

**3. I picture the throne room as the throne room from Twilight Princess**

**Thanks for three hundred reviews! Oh my God! I am so happy that so many people enjoy my story, and thanks for reviewing! They make my day, and they encourage me! Don't hesitate to give your advice and/or opinions! Thanks everybody!**

**And read Antiquis Viam by anidnawind. She is so talented, and her plot is amazing. She is worried about not enough people reviewing her story, and she deserves like five thousand reviews. Her plot is so well-thought and dramatic and intense and awesome... And anything by Miss Ashlynn is amazing. Give her stuff a look at!**

**Alright. Ciao.**

**~Leila**


	24. Chapter 23

**Okay, another chapter. Ugh. This was my longest update! Sorry for the wait, I've been going back and reediting chapters because my mistakes are atrocious, and while I was re-uploading chapter five, I hit chapter twenty five instead and had to go back and rewrite the whole chapter since I couldn't find the original five document. I was also in Alaska visiting an uncle and in Missouri for the Fourth. Sigh. This chapter is a little slower and has less of a point with maybe some fluff, I dunno, and then I'll have another chapter I've been wanting to have.**

**Thanks to The First of the Nentari, boredman46, Blossom-Strawberry16, BlueMonkeyDoll, That quiet observer, Farore64, Zolias, Lauparisi, MGS, Princess Zelda-figure skater, Sheikagal, Dark Oppressor, pyrosavvy5, Anonymous, and MistyMilkshakeBoss.**

**Thanks for all of your reviews and support, I really really really appreciate it!**

****~Leila****

**Even though it's mostly filler, something really big will happen in this chapter, but I don't think anyone will notice it because it's rather subtle... Well the big part of it is subtle, there's an obvious part too... Mwahaha. Read on.**

**Also, if you're bored and want something beyond amazingly good to read, check out How Zelda Got Her Groove Back by ZeldaRubix. It's a fantastic story with an amazing author!**

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><p>Chapter Twenty Three (Zelda)<p>

I crossed my arms and glared over at Link, who was still scanning the horizon contently, appearing unconcerned that we'd been waiting for well over twenty minutes. I looked back at the brightening horizon, watching as the pink and orange of dawn slowly overtook the dark shades of night.

"She's not coming."

He turned to look at me at the sound of my voice. His tunic had blood stains on it, there was spider's silk in his hair, tear stains adorned his cheeks, and his eyes were tired and scared.

"Yes she will. I played the song. Cremia said if I played the song, she will come," he replied simply, going back to staring at the land in front of us.

"Just because _Cremia_ said so doesn't make it true!" I shot back.

He shrugged, seemingly unaffected by my words. "She will come," he insisted again before falling silent.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Apparently Cremia had told him that she and Romani had trained all their horses to come when they played a certain song. Link had taken my harp and plucked around until he found the notes he was looking for, then played a short and sweet three tone melody. And we've been standing and waiting ever since. There's no logical way the horse could have heard us. It's not coming.

Glancing over at Link again, I softened. He's had a rough day today. Though I didn't see all of it, his parent's killer had shown up and scared him stiff. Even now, he won't talk, he looks lost and scared, and tears still shine in his eyes. I wonder if this is planned. It's the perfect strategy. Remind him of his past and reduce him to a blubbery emotional state. I don't know what happened, but I do know that only a person that knows Link fairly well could have known that he gets emotional about his parents. But who does Link know that works for the Dark King? Or at least I assume the Dark King sent that man. Either way, it's not good.

A faint sound drew me to the present again, and my eyes widened to the size of the Terminian moon when I saw the chestnut mare Epona galloping towards us. I turned to Link, shocked, expecting a cocky "I told you so", but I got nothing. His gaze was still fixed on the horse in the distance. My heart sank a little. This isn't good.

Epona stopped right in front of us, her black eyes gazing at us expectantly. Link took a step towards her and patted her muzzle.

"Good girl," he whispered hoarsely.

He swung himself up on the saddle, and I pulled myself up in front of him. Grabbing the reigns, I turned back to Link.

"What's the closest place we could rest at?" I asked softly. "Any chance we could get actual beds?"

He took out the map, his movements almost mechanical. "No town. Unless you'd like a twenty-four hour ride. There is a clearing kind of by a stream about forty miles from here," he deadpanned, rolling the map back up into a tube and shoving it into the backpack.

"Alright. We'll camp there for a little while. Maybe we can take a short break? A couple days to recuperate?" I suggested, hoping he'll take the opportunity to rest.

But like I knew he would, he shook his head. "No. We have to catch up to Aryll. We'll stay the night here then keep going," he said firmly, wrapping his hands around my waist and burying his face into my back.

I sighed and spurred Epona into a gallop. There won't be any changing his mind.

The golden sun began rising higher in the sky, the pinks and oranges from the sunrise fading into a clear azure with no signs of clouds for miles. It was a beautiful day, and normally I'd appreciate such a crystal clear morning, but the only thing I'm looking for now is any signs of an enemy waiting to attack. My mindset has changed so much in this short time. I've gone from gentle and timid to fierce and tough. Everything around me is a threat. Link is the only one I feel I can trust, but even he has changed. He's grown quieter, especially now that he has so much on his mind.

The problem with Link is he'll let an issue fester and brew inside of him until he internally explodes. He lets these thing build and build and when they reach the climax, he can't always handle it. That's what happened with his aunt and uncle, that's what's happening with the Hero thing, and that's what's happening with the issue of his parent's deaths. I just wish he'd realize that it's okay to talk, and when he talks I listen.

"Are you going to rest Link?" I asked, trying to start some civil conversation.

"No. I don't think it's possible to sleep while bouncing up and down this frequently."

"You should at least try," I coaxed.

"'a'ole, I mai makemake hana moe," he muttered, his face still nestled in my back.

"What?"

"No, I don't want to sleep," he translated.

"That's ridiculous! You're exhausted!" I cried, steering Epona away from a large rock.

"Kui nao 'e, I kauoha 'ole moe!"

"Link. I. Can. Not. Understand. You!"

"Screw off, I will not sleep!" he yelled into my back.

"Why not?" I asked with more than a touch of patience.

"I don't want to sleep because I don't want to dream, Zelda," he said, pulling his head up. "I don't want to watch what I know will be there waiting for me."

I sucked in a sharp breath. "Link..."

"Don't talk. You don't understand what it's like. You don't know what it's like to feel sheer terror and be genuinely terrified that your loved ones are in danger." His voice lowered to a whisper. "I always replay that day, Zelda. I always see them die begging for my help. And I'm always stuck to the same spot with no way of saving them. And before they die, they always... tell me it's my fault."

"Never ever say that! How on earth could it be your fault?" I demanded, turning to face him and hoping Epona was smart enough to evade large obstacles on her own.

He dropped his gaze. "Can we not talk about this...?"

"Absolutely not! Link, you can't hold these things in. It's not healthy. You're putting psychiatrists out of jobs!"

"Great, so now I'm classified with the crazy people."

"Well, this is obviously driving you crazy," I justified.

"It's not crazy, just... I feel like I should have done something! Followed them earlier. Stepped in to help them. Screamed for help. Anything. Instead, I watched. I _watched _Zelda," he told me in a strained voice.

"But you were six, weren't you? What would a six year old have done? You were scared and probably in shock. You didn't know what to do," I assured him. "Now, I want you to tell me what happened. You don't have to get graphic, and you can as long as you need to, but I want the whole story. Understand?"

"The _whole_ story?"

"The whole story."

And he told me. It took the rest of the ride, some very long pauses and a few tears shed, but the whole story got out. All of it. His parents had been leaving a lot, so one day he decided to follow them. He was a little behind them, and he heard yells and crying on his way up the mountain trail. By the time he reached the cave, the crying had turned to screaming. He said that man was already killing his mother. Her death was faster but extremely brutal. He didn't say what happened and I didn't press him, but from what I gathered, the man cut her limbs off then disemboweled her. His father's death was slower and more painful, though he wouldn't describe it.  
>Afterwards, he said the man looked up at him and smiled. He said the man said, "Now I've found you," and began advancing towards him. He said that in a moment of panic, he dove between the man's legs and slid across the cave floor on his parent's blood. The man began to get angry and come at him with a knife, so not thinking, Link had hoisted up the big sword the man had used to kill his parents with and swung. And he hit home. The man fell dead, and Link ran home, stained with not only his parent's blood, but his parent's murderer's blood as well.<p>

"I'm a murderer, Zelda," he whispered. "I killed a man at age six."

I stroked his hand with my finger gently. It's one thing to see your parents murdered, it's another to become a murdered yourself. As scary as that all was, there was one thing that didn't make sense.

"How could that have been the same man then? If you killed him, that can't be the same person," I said, sliding off Epona as I pulled her to a stop at the clearing.

"It was. You don't forget someone like that," he said bitterly, jumping off next to me. "He said something about his master's power being greater than death or something. _Obviously_his employer knows necromancy."

"I still don't think that's-"

"It was him, okay?" Link yelled, whirling around to face me. His blue eyes burned with anger. "Now, I'm done talking about this, I think you got what you wanted, so leave me alone."

"Link-"

"Shh."

"I-"

"Shhhhhh!"

"Won't you-!"

"Shhhuut up!"

"You're such a little-"

"Shut your ungodly lopsided mouth!"

I blinked. "What?"

"That's what you said to me when I told you I liked your smile," he informed me. "Usually the polite response is 'thank you'."

I cracked a small smile, the first one in a while. "Yeah, I remember now. I guess I should thank you. Thank you," I said, realizing how dimwittedly stupid I sounded_ after_ I said it.

"Well, since we're all displaying our good manners now, you're welcome."

"And since that debt is paid off now, will you try and get some rest?" I asked hopefully. His face darkened instantly.

"No. I believe I already answered that question," he told me flatly.

"What if I could get rid of your nightmares?"

His head shot up and his eyes narrowed. "What?"

I stared him straight in the eye. "I said, if you didn't hear me, what if I could get rid of your nightmares." I had been thinking about this the entire horse ride. He experiences these horror every night, and I wasn't him to be rid of them. I think I have the perfect solution.

"What do you mean? How?" he demanded, suddenly very interested.

"Well, the lower half of your brain sends you into REM sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep, and the pulses of movement causes the change of dream scenery. The middle brain or limbic system controls your emotions and feelings. And the higher part of your brain that controls language and logical thinking is essentially not working at the time, leading you to believe that everything you see is real. Of course, there is still some thinking going on to problem-solve within the dream, but your dreams are more memories reoccurring in the dreams."

"Uh... No speako fancy scientisto?"

"Shut up. Anyway, I was thinking, and I thought that if I maybe... Numbed your temporal lobe and hippocampus, your main storage areas of memory, your dreams wouldn't be of your parents," I told him.

"And how do you expect to get in my head? This sounds like a scary crazy mad scientist operation! I'll trust you with a lot of things, Zelda, but brain surgery is not one of them. Sorry, but I think you're crazy," he said.

"I would use magic! I'm not cutting into your head! And it'd only be temporary. Until you wake up," I promised.

"How do I know you know what you're doing? Do you even know how to use magic? How do we have any idea that the Triforce numbs hippopotamuses or whatever? You could leave me brain damaged! No way," he said decidedly.

"It's hippocampus, and have a little faith. Triforce of Wisdom, remember? Not Triforce of Dumb Decisions. I just have a feeling."

"A feeling, huh?"

"Like your feeling with the invisible bridge. Trust me," I pleaded.

I know this will work. I have this little nagging in the back of my head and my hand itches like crazy. I know it will work!

"Hm. Well..." he trailed off, staring into the distance.

"Please? You have to rest, and with my way, you can sleep without nightmares, Please," I begged again.

I really want to help him. He is on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, and he can't not sleep. It's unhealthy and dangerous for the future. He won't have any strength to defend himself. Not to mention the nightmares themselves aren't helping his sleeping situation. Even if he did fall asleep, he'd only wake up screaming again. He needs this.

"...Fine. Fine. But just so you know, I will never, ever forgive you if you turn me into a brain-dead potato. Or if I die. I will hate you," he informed me forcibly.

"Fair enough," I agreed. "Lie down, please. And relax."

"Oh yeah, I'll relax. I'm about to have someone play around with my brain. With_ magic_," he snapped, laying his head in my lap and crossing his arms angrily

_Make him talk to you_, a voice in my head whispered. _I will guide you through this, my daughter. Make him talk to you._

"Tell me about your childhood. What are your fondest memories?" I asked, mentally reviewing the location of the parts of the brain.

"Uh... okay? Wait, why?" he demanded, suspiciously, raising his head.

"Hold still!" I commanded. "It's just to get your mind off things." It's also so I'll know if I've screwed up. If he stops reciting memories, I'll be in trouble.

"If you say so," he grumbled, resuming his former grumpy position.

_Retrieve the power within yourself. Imagine you are running down a long, dark tunnel. Search for the light, _the voice instructed.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before doing as I was told. I'd done this once before in the water temple... Like going down a tunnel... Suddenly I was flooded with a soft golden light. I felt revived, concentrated, powerful, and ready for anything. The Triforce was in me.

_Very good. Make sure he is talking, and then we shall begin._

"Start telling me memories, Link. How did you meet Sheik?" I prompted.

"He was the only boy who didn't make fun of my accent. That was the big thing. He was the only one who would sit by me at lunch, and we always traded sandwiches because my aunt always made me peanut butter, which I hated and he loved, and his mom always gave him tunafish which he hated and I loved because my mom always made it. We always made fun of the teachers. And Groose.  
>Then we started getting into the habit of going to the beach together everyday after school. He showed me some tide pools that were over the cliffs, and I taught him how to flip horseshoe crabs onto their backs with your foot. We played soccer all the time, and sometimes beach volleyball with his older sister Teagan and her friends.<br>One day when we were at the beach, it started pouring down rain and lightning-ing and thundering. There was a hurricane warning, and we were practically getting blown off our feet because we were still tiny kindergarteners. A lady hurried us inside her bar with her and gave us blankets and root beer floats. That was Telma," he reminisced.

"Good. Tell me more," I murmured, placing my glowing hands on his head.

_Take control, mother Nayru. Assist me in what I am about to partake in, _I prayed.

I felt a pressure on my chest, a strange light-headed feeling, and suddenly, my hands were working by themselves. They glowed brighter, then actually plunged into Link's head. I screamed, but I wasn't in total control of my body. Link didn't hear me scream, nor did he appear to notice my hands were in his head. I took a deep breath as my eyes closed, revealing a golden map of the brain behind my eyelids.

The hippocampus is located within the medial temporal lobe, underneath the cortical surface. It is closer to the center of the brain, and a little to the side. My fingers gently delved further into Link's head, brushing his thoughts, feelings and memories. I saw a brief flash of a beautiful woman smiling, a man singing in the moonlight, me as a child being tackled into the sand, me as a fourth grader grudgingly handing him a pack of Sweethearts for Valentine's Day since the teacher required everyone in the class had to have a Valentine, me crying after he put his gum in my hair in eighth grade, me laughing, me blushing at one of his snarky comments, me slamming into him on a bike, me dancing with him on Din's Day, me kissing him on my roof...

I located the medial temporal lobe, fingering it a few times over to be positively certain. I could faintly hear Link talking about how he broke his leg in fifth grade. So far, everything was good.

Delicately, I reached into the medial temporal lobe and found the hippocampus. All I need to do is subdue it for a little, to numb it so he can dream normally while he sleeps... I sent a slow pulse of energy into his brain, concentrating with all my might. I can't mess this up. I can't do that to him. I _can't._

_It is done._

My hands withdrew from Link's head, and the glow died down. I did it. I did it!

"Link, I-" I trailed off and felt my heart plunge to rock bottom instantly. Link was not talking. Or moving. His eyes were closed. "Oh goddesses! Link! Are you alright? Oh goddesses!" I shrieked.

_Shh, Zelda. He is merely sleeping, getting the rest he deserves and the sweet dreams he's always wanted, thanks to you. You should rest also, my dear, you have done so well. Good luck..._

I felt the voice's presence leave my body as an overwhelming sense of exhaustion washed over me. Sinking to the ground next to Link, I heard a last voice.

_Sleep my daughter... Prepare yourself for what is to come..._

_I was standing in a field of fire. The blades of grass were all individual strands of fire. The trees were made of fire. The sky was fire. I stood facing a small group of people. On the left, there was Mattie. Not one of him, but two, each looking beat up and exhausted. He held a small blue instrument in his hand. On the right stood Link. There were two of him as well, both grim-faced and weary. In the middle stood a duplicate of me. Her eyes blazed gold like the fire that raged around us. She drew a bow, the arrow pointed straight at my heart. I watched as she released the string, as the arrow sailed straight and true through the air towards me. The arrow pierced my chest, I heard a scream, a laugh..._

I awoke with a gasp, my heart thumping wildly, my head whipping around in every direction, searching for danger. Epona was grazing at some grass nearby, and Link still slept next to me, a peaceful smile on his face. I let out a breath of relief and sat up, arching my back and stretching. From the sun, I judged it was roughly four in the afternoon. Yawning, I stood up and reached down to touch my toes. I brushed a little of Link's hair out of his face and gently pulled a strand of that morbid spider's silk from his straw colored tresses. I'm going to let him sleep for as long as possible, and maybe even get him to stay the night here. He needs as much rest as possible.

Planning to make myself useful, I grabbed the backpack Rauru had given us and unzipped it. It seems like a lifetime ago when we were leaving the Temple of Time after just learning we were destined to save Hyrule.

Rooting through the bag's contents, I was pleasantly surprised at what Rauru had thought to pack. Lighter fluid and matches, a small pot for cooking, two bowls but no plates, and even a few vegetables, carefully packaged with magic to preserve freshness. I can make stew! All I have to do is hunt a little game for meat, and we'll have us a nice meal.

After closing the backpack, I pulled my bow and quiver out of one of Epona's saddlebags, making sure to throw her an apple as I headed towards the small cluster of trees near our little camp. If no animals are in the little forest, I can always count on something being at the creek I can hear rushing in the distance.

My newly acquired hunter's instinct began to kick in as I entered the canopy of trees. My senses sharpened, I was instantly on guard and alert, and my bowstring was already drawn. I can't believe that all of this has already become instinct. How am I going to react around people? If someone so much as pokes my back, I'll be on them with a dagger to their throats instantly. I'll be a light sleeper, aware of every sound and movement. Everything will have changed so much that my friends may not want to be around me when I get back. If I get back...

I can't afford to think like that. I _will_ be getting home. That is final.

A small noise drew me to the present, and I froze, raising my bow towards the source of the noise. A small wild cuckoo was pecking around in the grass, searching for worms and bugs that might be crawling around in the dirt. Cuckoos are startled and angered at the slightest provocation, so I need to make this silent and stealthy.

Drawing my bowstring back fluidly, I positioned the arrow right at the cuckoo's heart. I prepared to release the tension and kill the bird, when it suddenly let out a loud, throaty squawk, startling me and causing me to release the arrow two inches to the left of my desired target. The arrow grazed the bird's tail feathers, causing it to go stiff, then turn and fix its beady eyes straight on me.

Oh geez. A cuckoo will often get very violent after it is physically assaulted... It has been known to chase and peck victims vigorously... Slowly, I began backing away from the bird, my eyes never leaving the black depths of its own. Easy does it... Slow and steady...

With a vicious call, the cuckoo charged forward in a flurry of feathers. I screamed and turned to run. The cuckoo was hot on my trail, still clucking and flapping furiously. I'm going to die! Oh my Din! I crashed through a bramble bush and stumbled over some rocky terrain. I could hear the cuckoo close behind me. It's going to peck my eyes out and eat my intestines! Oh my goodness! I ran and ran until I was panting at the bank of the stream I had been hearing. All I could hear now was the rushing water. No angry cuckoo calls with a lust for revenge.

I bent over to scoop up some water. I bet that would have been hilarious to anyone who would have been watching. A grown woman running from a cuckoo. I snorted, cringing as water shot through my nose. Well, great. The hunt has been a failure, I was scared shitless by a cuckoo, and we still have nothing ea-

I froze and a grin spread across my face as I spotted some sort of waterfowl searching for food in the mudbanks. Quietly, I nocked my bow, being sure to be ready for any sudden movements or noises. These birds are generally dumber than usual, so I shouldn't have any trouble. Wasting no time, I sent the arrow straight through the bird's heart. I watched as it collapsed to the ground, feeling satisfaction at the kill. Old Zelda would have cried and had a funeral for the bird. This Zelda wanted food.

I sloshed through the creek to the opposite side of the bank to retrieve the bird's carcass. This will be great for stew! My stomach growled in agreement, and I got out of the water and traveled back through the woods, keeping an extra careful eye out for certain angry birds.

Camp was just how I left it. Link was still sleeping, Epona was still grazing, nothing was still happening. I set my catch down on the ground and began clearing a small area for a fire. I brushed away all leaves and twigs, keeping the rocks to create a ring to insulate the fire with. Now, I need a lot of sticks of tinder, kindling, and fuel. Link would probably patronize me about the fact that fires draw attention, but frankly, I don't give a damn. I want a hot meal, and I'll risk a few lizard men and pig-goblins to get it.

Sighing, I stood up and trudged back to the woods. It's a good thing there seems to be a lot of fallen branches. Thick logs for the fuel, however, will be harder to get. I bent to collect sticks, twigs, and branches as I went, journeying back to the campsite to deposit my findings into a pile every so often when my arms got full. Unfortunately, I didn't find any conveniently pre-cut logs while I was looking. What am I supposed to do, use my dagger?

Magic. I have magic. I can use magic!

A very childish grin spread across my face as this idea dawned on me, and I rubbed my hands together giddily. Zelda Fairchild, chopping a tree with magic! I turned to the nearest wooden giant, channeling my energy as I did so. The golden glow returned to my skin. I love how I feel when I use the Triforce. I feel unstoppable.

Concentrating on cutting the tree into pieces, I extended my hand towards the tree, watching with pure joy as the tree began to tremble. I'm doing it! I'm doing it!

I started to laugh, but the laugh quickly turned to a scream as the tree was ripped from the ground and began to fall towards me. I screamed as I dove baseball style out of the way, barely avoiding being crushed beneath the trunk of the tree. Branches scratched my face and leaves caught in my hair as the tree fell, producing a mighty sound and a shockwave that tossed my body back. My head struck the ground hard, and I lie there unmoving, staring at the sky as the dust settled over me.

Trembling, I picked myself up off the ground. I can't get cocky like that! I don't know how to control the fearsome power that I possess. Taking a deep breath, I looked back at the trunk of the tree. Let's try this again.

Focusing on the trunk of the tree again, I envisioned the trunk being split into nice equal parts. Instantly, the trunk flashed gold and a sound like a thousand knives filled the air. The trunk immediately fell apart into perfect sections. I let out a breath and let the power leave my body.

After picking the best pieces, I dragged the firewood back to the camp. I arranged some fine, dry twigs at the bottom of the fire for tinder. Striking a match, the head burst into flames and I quickly threw it into my pile of tinder. The pile immediately caught fire, and I began to add my large pile of kindling, making sure that air could circulate.

I went to grab my logs and began singing softly to myself. I was bored; I had no one to talk to.

_Run, run, run away  
>Buy yourself another day<em>

I began arranging some skinny but tall sticks in a small teepee shape around the fire, then arranged my logs log cabin style; layering logs in opposite directions creating four walls. It's a good place to cook food on.

_A cold wind's whispering secrets in your ear  
>So low only you can hear<em>

I reached for the bag to grab the vegetables to chop. We had carrots, celery, and an onion. As I chopped I couldn't help but think that I was chopping vegetables with the same weapon that I'd killed living creatures with. Shaking those thoughts away, I started the next verse of the song, only to find a second voice join in with me in perfect harmony.

_Run, run, run and hide  
>Somewhere no one else can find<em>

I instantly stopped and turned to see Link sitting up, looking at me intently.

"Well don't stop," he urged. "That was beautiful. Keep singing."

I smiled and nodded. I began to sing again as I chopped the carrots. Link joined in a moment later, harmonizing with me perfectly. His voice is beautiful. I might be good, but he is wonderful and amazing. If this is how good he is without instruction, I want to see him with voice lessons. He could make big money off his voice.

_Tall trees bend and lean, pointing where to go  
>Where you will still be all alone<br>Don't you fret my dear  
>It'll all be over soon<br>I'll be waiting here  
>For you<br>Run fast as you can  
>No one has to understand<br>Fly high, cross the sky from here to kingdom come  
>Fall back down to where you're from<br>Don't you fret my dear  
>It'll all be over soon<br>I'll be waiting here  
>For you, for you, for you<br>Run, run, run and hide..._

The song ended with our last chord ringing through the field, the harmony fading on the wind. I looked at Link and smiled brightly.

"That was fantastic! How did you learn to harmonize like that? You just made that up, right?" I asked, scraping the chopped carrot into a bowl.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I made it up. My makua kane... Uh, my dad always said it was a natural talent. I haven't done that in years though. I haven't even sang in years. It felt good."

I smiled and began working on the celery. "Well, I'll be open to sing with you anytime. Anyway, how did you sleep?" I asked, hoping my spell worked as I had hoped.

"I slept amazing! Better than I have in a long, long time! Not a single nightmare or anything! Thank you so much, Zelda, I really needed that. You're the greatest," he said, leaning over to give me a hug. I giggled girlishly.

"Yeah, yeah, enough of that. Now make yourself useful and prepare that bird over there," I instructed, pointing my knife at the waterfowl carcass.

He crawled across the ground to grab the bird and retrieve his sword, and I smiled to myself as I cut the celery. I'm pretty good at magic. Sure, I had Nayru's help for the dream spell, but I knew I could do that with magic and I knew how. I just brought down a tree with magic too. This magic thing will definitely work in my favor.

"How do you skin birds?" Link called over to me, holding the bird up by its neck and pointing his sword tip at it.

"I don't know, wing it!" I giggled. He rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Clever. Aren't you just punny? Seriously, help me," he said, waving the bird around.

"I don't know, I've never had to skin a bird," I told him. "Sorry."

He shrugged. "Oh well. I'll just go to town on this thing and see what happens."

"Please don't mutilate our bird to the point where we can't eat it," I sighed, dumping the celery in the bowl with the carrots.

"Don't mock me. I assure you that I can skillfully carve this bird. Tastefully," he added after a second.

"Alright. Skillfully carving a bird tastefully. I'll hold you to your word," I told him.

"Good. Now you chop that onion!" he commanded, turning to study the bird in his hand.

"Aye aye, captain!" I cried cheerfully, slicing the onion in half. Link's face darkened considerably after I said that, but he didn't say anything.

Sniffing at the onion's pungent scent, I continued to dice the vegetable into fine cubes, taking care not to dice my fingers with it. That has almost happened on a few occasions. A tear trickled out of my eye and made its way slowly down my cheek. I sniffed again and wiped it away with my sleeve. I hate how when I cry my nose gets all runny and my cheeks are wet and-

Wet. Water. We kind of need water to make stew.

"Hey Link, I'll be right back. I'm just going to go to the creek to get some water for stew," I told him, getting to my feet and grabbing the pot Rauru had packed.

"Creek water?" Link wrinkled his nose. "Is that safe to drink?"

"It's fine. Besides, it's rushing water. Rushing water moves and carries away any parasites or germs, whereas still water lets them sit and multiply."

"...Thanks for the nice science lesson."

"It's survival skills," I informed him, heading in the direction of the stream. "I'll be back soon."

"Zelda?"

I stopped and turned to look at him. His blue eyes were round and innocent, looking up at me.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Link."

The forest was a lot more easy to navigate now. If I can even call it a forest. After spending my share of time in Faron Woods, I don't think I can. This is more like a "closely placed grove of trees."

I arrived at the creek in no time, and I kneeled down to scoop some water up in the pot. The running water was crystal clear and blue. I could make out every single pebble from the surface above it, and even a few crayfish. A school of minnows swam by, pushed along by the swift current. Smiling, I stuck my hand in the icy water. It swirled around my hand, finding its way around it and continuing on its way like normal. A bird called from the reeds on the opposite bank. Its cry was returned from somewhere off in the distance by another bird.

I smiled again. I just love nature and all its beauties so much. I could just sit here and watch forever. I should become a poet.

Laughing at myself, I stuck the pot in the water, allowing it to fill to maximum capacity. A shadow passed over me, probably the bird's mate. Hoisting the pot of water up, I turned to head back to camp.

* * *

><p>(Link)<p>

Dinner was delicious. I can't remember the last time I've had a hot meal.

Zelda had returned soon, as she had promised, smiling as she lugged the pot of water with her. I managed to skin the bird in a way I considered socially acceptable, and we tossed it in the pot along with the vegetables. It simmered down to a nice, salty yummy, delicious stew.

I smiled at Zelda over my bowl, and she smiled back.

"Not too bad for a couple of scraggly teenagers, eh?" she joked, slurping the last of her soup. Rauru very stupidly forgot to give us goddessdamned spoons with our bowls.

"It's quite good, if I do say so myself," I agreed.

Her eyes shone with excitement, dancing like the flames. "Wanna go swimming?" she asked, leaning forward a bit.

"Swimming?" I asked. She nodded.

"At the creek. Want to? Please?" she begged.

I glanced at the darkening sky and out dimming fire. Her beautiful blue eyes pleaded, and I sighed. She knows how to play me.

"Fine. You only live once, right? Let's do it," I said, standing up and offering her my hand.

She did silent cheer, then giggled and took my hand. I laced my fingers with hers and let her drag me through the dark woods, giggling and chattering about the beauty of the sky. I smiled. She's so cute and charming. She has no idea how much she means to me. Right now she's the only thing I have left. What she did to me to help my nightmares was amazing. I can't ever thank her or repay her for what she did. I dreamt of her, though. I dreamt of her.

"Here we are!" her voice cut through my reverie, and I saw we were facing a wide rushing creek.

Immediately, seeing and hearing the water, my heart began pouring a little faster.

"You know, on second thought, I'd rather not swim. Or be anywhere near the water," I squeaked, stumbling back.

"Oh no you don't!" she said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me back. "You're getting over your hydrophobia, whether you want to or not."

I laughed nervously and yanked at her hold on my wrist. She's surprisingly strong. "I really... would rather not..."

And suddenly I found myself waist deep in frigid water, facing a grinning Zelda.

"Is it really all that bad?" she demanded, smiling at me brightly. Our faces were inches apart.

"You might have to treat me for hypothermia again," I said, shivering.

"Would that really be so bad?" Zelda whispered, leaning forward.

Our lips met, the kiss starting slow and sweet. I wound my fingers in her beautiful golden hair, twirling it in my hands. She wrapped her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss, increasing the pace. I smiled against her lips and pulled her closer to me. I don't ever want to let her go. The kiss continued for some time, until I suddenly felt her tongue probing at my lips, asking for access in my mouth. I gasped in shock and pulled back.

Zelda smirked and put her hands on my lips. "Who would have thought? Out of all people, _you _Link Carstairs, have never kissed a girl!"

"I've kissed you!" I snapped defensively.

"I mean _really _kissed a girl. Tongue and all," she corrected, leaning towards my face again. "Come on, why don't you try it? I bet you're really good at it," she whispered seductively into my ear.

That's all it took. I brought her lips to mine again, this time sliding my tongue into her mouth. And there we stood, the only people in the world. We stood kissing in the creek for a long time, letting time fly by and forgetting troubles or cares.

_I love you, _I thought as we kissed. _I love you so much._

* * *

><p>(Third person)<p>

The girl sat awake in the middle of the night, leaning over the sleeping boy next to her. The cool night air tousled her blonde locks, and an owl hooted off in the distance. Embers still glowed from the pits of the campfire, winking out at her like rubies in the ash.

She sat stroking the boy's face, slowly but gently. She held a blade in her hand, the moonlight reflecting ominously off its crystalline surface. Time seemed to slow down as she raised the blade above her head. Her face was straight, but her eyes burned with a fearsome hatred that marred her beauty. She still stroked his face slowly as if to calm him, and she raised her blade a little higher, tensing and preparing to drive the blade downward...

"What do you think you're doing?"

The girl cursed and brought the blade down, turning to see who the newcomer was. A beautiful Twili girl with turquoise marking snaking up her arms and around her legs stood with her hands on her hips.

"Midna, what are you doing here?" the girl growled, standing to face the girl before her, her gaze never leaving the other girl.

"If you really must know, your father sent me," the Twili girl, Midna, sneered, circling the blonde girl. "He figured you'd try to pull something like this and sent me to watch you."

"Damn my father! He has been missing all of these opportunities to just kill him off! If he prolongs this, our plans will crumble-"

"Oh save it, Princess. You know your orders."

"I know, I know," the girl grumbled, crossing her arms.

"You only have to wait a little longer," Midna assured her.

"That's all I've been doing!" the girl cried. "Waiting, waiting waiting! I don't want to wait! I want to see his guts spilt on the grass!"

"Shh! You'll wake him!" Midna hissed, jerking her thumb at the boy, who was beginning to squirm a bit in his sleep.

"I'm sorry, Middie," the girl said, lowering her voice.

"You better be. I'm leaving before he wakes. Don't do anything stupid, and if you do, your father will hear about it, _Zelda_."

The girl flinched at hearing her name, and watched silently as Midna melted into the shadows around her. Her crimson-gold eyes faded last, boring into Zelda's like a red-hot poker.

Sighing, Zelda crossed her arms and turned to face the sleeping boy again. Link. Just his name sent searing waves of anger through her entire body. If only he were dead. If only that damn Twili hadn't shown up. Her father wouldn't have cared. He would of been proud of her. Proud of his daughter at last...

She froze as the boy began to talk. Murmuring what sounded like gibberish to her. Thrashing and tossing and turning until...

'ZELDA!" he screamed, bolting straight upright, his eyes wide with fear. "Zelda!" he whispered again, instantly grabbing her and drawing her to him.

She was frozen in shock, not sure what to do. "Link... It's okay..." she stammered, hoping she didn't sound too false.

"No! It- he... Why couldn't you have done that dream spell again? I don't want to dream!" he sobbed into her shoulder.

She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back soothingly. She was slipping back into character. "Shh, Link, I told you I was tired. Spells like that require a lot of energy. But you're okay. I promise. I'm here."

There was a moment of silence as he cried soundlessly into her shoulder.

"Zelda, I love you."

A pause.

"I- I love you too."

* * *

><p><strong>How do you guys like that? :) It wasn't my best work, I just wanted a few plot developers, like what the Triforce can do, what happened to Link, the Zelda thing etc. I had to put the cuckoo in there. I had an irrational fear of those as a child when my sister insisted on making them chase her EVERY time she saw them. Again, sorry for my atrociously horrible long wait! The next chapter will NOT take that long! Thanks for sticking with me guys!<strong>

**1. The song was Kingdom Come by the Civil Wars**

**2. All translations were translated in the story, the language is Hawaiian**

**3. I did extensive research on how to build a campfire, so all that's accurate!**

**Alright. Tell me what you thought! I seriously love reviews! And next update will be soon. Thanks y'all!  
><strong>

**~Leila**

**Again, check out _How Zelda Got Her Groove Back _by ZeldaRubix, and _Ascension _by Skyward Princess, and _The Wondrous Adventures of the Righteous Maximus _by Split Infinitive.**


	25. Chapter 24

**Quick update! It's not completely relevant to Link and Zelda and I know people want that, but I'll get there! A couple people had ideas as to what happened in the last chapter, a couple were just confused, and I was sitting here laughing like the evil author I am! I am so excited for these next few chapters, stuff is picking up!**

**Thanks to Sheikagal, Jupsi, Farore64, DarkOppressor, ShadowNinja1011, pyrosavvy5, Guest, ZeldaRubix, erico637, Misty, and ScRamb1ed for reviewing! It makes me so happy that you guys enjoy this!**

**So... Yeah. Here's this chapter.**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>(Third person)<p>

It was a beautiful night in the city of Domain. The air was still and pleasantly warm. Streets were adorned with beautiful cool colored lights, lighting the way for people walking down the streets. The sky was a gorgeous purple streaked with orange and pink; the sun's last rays shining as it dipped beneath the horizon.

Yes, tonight was absolutely perfect. The young Zora man smiled as he looked out the window. Tonight was finally the night. He turned to look at the kitchen, where a young Zora woman bustled around, glancing at a cookbook and pulling out a plethora of items from the cabinets and refrigerator. He couldn't help but smile. How could he not? She was gorgeous. Her wavy blue hair was down, falling like a shimmering waterfall. Her violet eyes were downcast, her brow furrowed in frustration. He loved how she bit her lip when she was frustrated. It was so darn cute.

Noticing his stare, the woman looked up and smiled a smile that could outshine the sun. The man's heart fluttered like it always did when she was around. Dropping the bowl she was holding, sending it clattering to the floor, she ran over to where he was standing, her socks sliding on the linoleum floor of the kitchen. He laughed at the sight. It was like watching an excited puppy.

He caught her in his arms, and she smiled up at him, her purple eyes shining with happiness.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked with a giggle.

He grinned down at her. "You."

She giggled again. He loved her giggle.

"Anyway, let me start cooking. I appreciate your offer to help, but frankly, Love, you'd burn the kitchen down," he told her with a smile, planting a soft kiss on her nose.

She stuck her tongue out at him, then laughed. "I'd argue, but I know you're right!"

"Not that sucking at cooking is a bad thing. I've learned _tons_ of new things. For example, I didn't think water could burn. Guess who proved me wrong?" he asked with a smirk, pulling out a large pan. She smiled.

"This girl!" she proclaimed, jerking her thumbs towards herself.

He laughed as he pulled a few more spices out of the cabinet and set them on the counter. Tonight was going to be perfect. Absolutely perfect. That is, if she said yes...

He looked up to find her violet eyes trained on him, a worried expression on her pretty face.

"What are you thinking about, Mik?" she asked, walking over to brush a few strands of his deep blue hair from his eyes. He smiled and did the same for her, running his fingers through her silky hair. Time to put his plan into action.

"Oh, nothing Lu. Nothing for you to be concerned about," he said, throwing an overly-dramatic sigh in there for effect.

"Mikau, if it's bothering you, it bothers me. What is it?" his lover demanded, cupping his face in her small hands.

He took her hands in his. "Well, the marinade recipe calls for worcestershire sauce, and we're all out. Could you possible run to the store and get some while I finish dinner?" he asked.

"That's it? Oh Miky. Of course I'll get your war-chest-her-shire sauce. Be back in a jiff, alright?" she said, yanking on her boots as she turned to leave. A smile spread across his face. Only his Lu would wear socks and cowboy boots. He leaned over and gave her one last quick kiss on the lips.

"Thanks, Lu. You're the greatest!"

She flashed him another dazzling smile, then the door closed behind her. He listened to her footsteps clomp down the stairs until he heard nothing. He smiled to himself. He didn't need worcestershire sauce. He needed her out of the house so he could set everything up. Dinner was practically already finished.

He stood a few candlesticks up on the table, placing a bouquet of her favorite flowers, blue hydrangeas, in a vase as a centerpiece. He set the table with his grandmother's china and adjusted the lace tablecloth a final time. Taking a deep breath, he stood back. It looked great. Just one last thing to do.

Walking over to Lulu's spot, he placed a small box on her plate. Earlier that day, he had visited the local jeweler's. Though it killed his man pride to admit it, he had spent hours upon hours selecting the perfect ring for his beloved. He opened the box now, gazing at the ring proudly.

It was a silver band, displaying a large Zora sapphire as its star attraction. Two small pearls were inlaid on either side of the sapphire. The ring was beautiful. Just like Lulu. When he saw it, he was reminded of her. It was perfect.

He set the ring down on her plate, then turned and walked back over to the window again. Nerves were building in the pits of his stomach. Everything was ready. Bread was in the oven. A salad was in the refrigerator. A cuckoo was hidden in his closet, since he knew no better place to hide it, ready to be heated into a delicious meal.

All that was left was for Lulu to come home.

* * *

><p>Lulu smiled as stepped out into the bustling streets of Domain. Couples walked hand in hand, going to dinner or maybe a show in one of the many theaters. She'd heard the Blue Man Group was back in town. Children gawked at the window displays of department stores, begging their parents for the latest toy. A few bands played from opposite corners, rivaling for listeners and money. Lulu made a note to slip them all a Rupee or so. She felt for the undiscovered musicians.<p>

Turning off the main road, she ducked into an alley. She knew a shorter way to get to the Fish Market, and she didn't want to fight the crowds. She was eager to get back to Mikau. Something felt... exciting tonight. There was some unspoken elation that she could just sense in the air. Tonight was a big night.

She drew farther and farther away from the main crowds, delving further into the backstreets of Domain. The only sounds that could be heard were the faint drone of people talking and the constant clopping of her cowboy boots on the tile streets. Lulu didn't like the quiet. She always felt it was dead air that needed to be filled with music or conversation.

Adjusting the belt that held her lacy white dress in place, she began to sing quietly to herself, an old song her mother had taught her. To Zoras, it was commonly known as the Serenade of Water.

_Princess of Water;_  
><em>Great Zora's daughter…<em>  
><em>Rid us of Evil's reign,<em>  
><em>Today…<em>

She wasn't quite sure why that particular line popped into her head. It was the Zora people begging for the help of the great Princess Ruto, the Water Sage. Since then, Ruto had become quite a popular name among Zoras.

Still humming the Serenade, Lulu rounded the corner to see a lone Twili girl, about sixteen or seventeen, staring in confusion at a map, glancing around every so often before looking back down at her map. She smiled. Poor darling.

"Hey, are you lost?" she called to the girl, who instantly perked up at the sound of her voice. A relieved grin spread across the girl's face, and she nodded, jogging over to Lulu.

"Yes! I'm so sorry, I'm here visiting my aunt, and she sent me to find some florist as a centerpiece for the nice dinner she has planned for us tonight. Is there a flower shop around here anywhere, Miss...?"

"Lulu," she filled in. "Yes, actually, it's quite close. I believe it's just around the corner..."

She trailed off uncertainly as the girl began smiling at her. Not a nice friendly smile. A sinister, crazed smile. Her crimson-gold eyes showed no trace of friendliness or compassion.

"Um, are- are you alright?" Lulu stuttered, backing away slowly.

The girl's smile widened. "Oh, yes. I'm perfectly alright. I believe the question here is are _you _alright?"

Lulu opened her mouth to scream, but the scream was cut short as the girl lashed out, kicking her straight in the gut. Lulu doubled over, gasping in pain. The girl struck again, this time slamming Lulu's head into the marble wall of the building behind her. She fell to her knees, her vision blurring, her consciousness fading in and out like the tides of an ocean.

She watched as the girl stepped aside allowing a man to lean over her. Lulu opened her mouth to scream. He was terrifying. By far the scariest man she had ever seen in her life. His hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her scream. She struggled in his grasp, desperate to get away. He ignored her efforts and instead reached for her necklace, the necklace her grandmother had given her when she was a baby. It was a flat blue pendant, bearing a symbol that looked a little like a star or a flower. She tried to scream again as the man held it between his fingers, examining it carefully.

His gaze flicked down to her, his golden eyes full of annoyance. Wanting to be rid of her screams, he bashed her head against the tile street. Lulu's head was filled with a blinding pain, and her vision went fuzzy again.

The last thing she remembered was a flash of blue light that occurred after the man touched her necklace with his right hand, and a deep voice saying,

"We've found her, Midna. This is the first one we've been looking for..."

* * *

><p><strong>Ooo, poor Mikau. Ouch. To clear up any questions you might have, Ganondorf is looking for the sages, and I'll give you a hint Lulu is not the fire sage. Anyway, let me know how this was! This update was a lot faster! Yay. Anyway, I have a fun idea for the next temple. It'll be a lot different, and I'm excited :) Give me your thoughts on this, and I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, but it's a temple and I tend to take longer with those... Stay patient!<strong>

**~Leila**


	26. Chapter 25

**Alright, another temple. Well, half a temple. It's basically the same, just from a different perspective, and shorter. And I'm sorry to most of the reading population that wanted more Link and Zelda... They're next, I've already started writing the chapter... Also, I forgot to say, you see where the cover image fits in now? I like that picture :)**

**Thanks to DarkOppressor, Katia0203, xVocaloidianx, Sheikagal, StattStatt, pyrosavvy5, Jupsi, LauParisi, BlueMonkeyDoll, Guest, Evan, BrokaHydra21, ****and ShadowNinja1011 for your reviews on my last chapter!**

**I'm done talking. Let's get this party started!**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty Five (Sheik)<p>

"Aryll! Look out!" I yelled over the squealing of the- oh, what did Aunt Impa call them?- Bokoblins.

I sent a flurry of razor-sharp Sheikah needles flying towards the creature advancing on the Link's sister, watching it jerk with every impact before crumpling to the ground. Turning around quickly, my foot connected with the chest of another Bokoblin, hearing a satisfying crack accompany its squeals. Slashing it down with my knife, I turned to face the final Bokoblin, this one obviously a little smarter than the rest.

It regarded me with beady black eyes, and I hissed at it angrily. Its little band of demons had come too close to touching Aryll. With a loud battle cry, it charged at me with its large scythe raised above its head, poised to strike. Baring my teeth, I gripped my knife, not budging an inch as the creature barreled towards me.

"Watch out!" Navi cried, her voice shrill. Well, shrill_er_. It's nice to have Navi around with her upbeat and constantly positive attitude, but sometimes I really want to hit her repeatedly over the head with a tennis racket.

"Thanks Navi, I know what I'm doing!" I snapped, my eyes never leaving the oncoming Bokoblin.

At the last second, I sidestepped out of its path and drove my knife upward into its stomach. The creature squealed a last time before collapsing to the ground and becoming still.

Breathing heavily, I sheathed my knife and turned back to face a pale Aryll. Her hands were clasped and her face was taut with worry.

"I h-hate when they attack you like that," she stammered. "I k-keep thinking that you're gonna d-die!"

I smiled down at her and reached over to tousle her hair.

"Hey, relax kiddo. I'm Sheik Umbra! Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris are just monkeys in tutus compared to me! Death and I go to the bar every other Thursday to grab a drink and catch up!" I joked, trying to cheer her up a bit.

"I-I know but... I get so worried and I..." she stopped talking and flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"Y-Your Grace!" I stuttered, not sure if I should think of this as Link's kid brother hugging me or the mighty Goddess of the Skies.

"I get scared Sheik. I get really sacred," she whispered, looking up at me.

Her eyes are the color of the clear morning sky. Usually, they're full of laughter and mischief, but all that's gone now. They speak of fear, sadness, and a wisdom far beyond her age. Hesitantly, I hugged her back, trying to console her. Navi fluttered over and landed on her shoulder, stroking her hair softly. I smiled at the tiny fairy, who returned the smile half-heartedly.

Aryll isn't taking this temple well. The past two, she's managed to avoid danger and death and bloodshed. In the water temple, all the bad guys were waiting behind doors her and Impa didn't enter. They only had to go through one empty room to reach Lanayru's Spring. In the forest temple, we had closely trailed Link- I mean the Hero and the Princess, entering rooms to find all of the enemies already dead at our feet. This temple has been different. We entered to find two... not lizard men... Lizalfos guarding the next door. It soon became very evident that we had arrived first. The Hero and Princess had not yet arrived, and we had to take their place and figure out the temple ourselves. I suppose I should have known they wouldn't be here. In Dragon Roost, at the base of the volcano where this temple is located, there were whispers of a hero in green saving towns in Ikana Canyon from attacks and fires. I disregarded it, not thinking that this meant they wouldn't be here to do the dirty work for us. I suppose that was selfish of me in the first place.

"Are you ready to move on, Your Grace?" I asked the small girl whose face was buried in my stomach.

She pulled away from me, wiping her eyes with the long sleeves of her dress. "Don't call me 'Your Grace.' I don't like it. Just call me Aryll like you used to," she begged, looking up at me with her same blue eyes.

Like I used to. I try to remember the old Aryll I knew. The girl who insisted on wearing fleece footie pajamas in the summer. The girl who wanted to be a pirate when she grew up. The girl who always brought her leftover French fries to feed the seagulls. The Aryll before me is not the same girl.

"Of course. I like Aryll a lot better anyways," he replied, forcing a grin for her benefit. "Now, come on. We need to keep moving. It's not safe for you to be in one spot for too long."

I took her small hand in mine and gestured for Navi to take her spot on my left shoulder. The fairy nestled into my neck, and flashed me one of her blinding, minuscule smiles.

The next door led to a large room with a stream of lava dividing us from the door opposite. After a quick survey, I saw two Bokoblins wielding bows perched up in alcoves that were across from each other. Rolling my eyes out of annoyance, I threw a needle in both directions. My projectiles hit their marks, sending both monsters plummeting into the scorching lava below.

Sheikah needles have always been my weapon of choice. Every Sheikah has to learn how to use them, as well as learn hand to hand combat, teleportation, camouflage, and using Sheikah knives. Sheikah needles are not actual needles, though the name tells otherwise. The needles are thicker than average needles, made out of solid magic and sharpened until deadly. Their shape is streamlined, much like the shape of a swimmer as they push off the wall after making a turn. This allows them to be very aerodynamic and fly through the air at breakneck speed when thrown correctly. With much practice, one can also make them practically invisible as they sail through the air, striking their targets unaware as I had just demonstrated.

Pulling Aryll behind me, I progressed further in the room. There appeared to be no way across the oozing river of lava.

"HEY!" Navi cried, suddenly leaping up from my shoulder and fluttering inches from my face.

"AH! What?" I snapped, startled at her sudden outburst.

"Look! Up there? See that thing? See it, see it, see it?" she asked pointing wildly in like five different directions.

"Can you be a little more descriptive? As visually enticing as 'that thing' is, I have no idea what you're talking about," I deadpanned, pushing her gently away from my face. This is one of those times I wish I had a tennis racket.

"Well, it's almost perfectly spherical, just a little oblong at the top and it appears to be transparent, though I'd say it's safe to say that it's a very pale blue color, like a morning sunrise to be exact. It appears to be held in place by a green thing that looks kind of like a Venus flytrap, and it's a lime green. Wait, no, no, lime green is too bright. Maybe an evergreen? Or even granny-smith apple green... Actually, I think it's-"

"Too descriptive!" Aryll cut in sharply.

Thank Hy- Uh, thank her because I was considering throwing myself into the lava with the Bokoblins.

"Well, just look!" Navi cried, pointing a finger at something directly above the lava.

It did indeed look like a Venus flytrap, holding a large drop of water in its jaws. By all laws of gravity, the drop should have already fallen into the lava, but it wasn't so much as wobbling in the clutches of the plant. It held perfect still, suspended over the scalding hot substance below.

"Is that water?" Aryll asked, squinting up at the plant on the ceiling.

"Naw, it's vodka. It only _looks _like water so you can fool the guards," I told her seriously.

She glared at me. "Thank you. Thank you so much for that. I never would have guessed that it was vodka otherwise."

"You're welcome. You know, most people can't tell the difference between vodka and water. But I'm not most people. I'm a cunning, perceptive, wise, ninja Sheikah. You're lucky to have someone as vigilant and observant as me-"

"Stuff a sock in it, Sheik," Aryll huffed, crossing her arms and staring up at the ceiling. "I remember talking with Din about these... They're very clever little contraptions..."

"How is it not falling?" I asked as I stared at the unmoving drop of vodka. Water. Whatever.

Aryll turned to look at me. "What do you mean?"

"Is it not affected by gravity? Zero-gravity water drop from space!" I proclaimed.

"It's magic. There was some special purpose to it that I can't recall..." Aryll trailed off, still looking up at the zero-gravity water drop from space.

"It's too unnatural for me. I can't stand it," I announced, readying another Sheikah needle. I never have to worry about wasting them. They're very easy to craft; all they require is a certain spell in an ancient Sheikah language.

"Sheik, I don't think-"

I let the needle fly, watching as it hit the plant and sent the drop plummeting down with satisfyingly normal gravity. The drop of water hit the lava, there was a loud sizzle like someone licked their finger and stuck it on a hot pan, and there was rock. Solid rock.

"What in the name of all things holy is-"

"Ah, I remember now. Water and fire. Cooling. Very clever," Aryll mused to herself. "Now hurry across, the platform isn't very stable and won't be there for long!"

Nodding, I ushered her ahead of me, making sure she was safely across before I followed. Almost as soon as I stepped foot off the lava rock, there was another hiss, and the lava engulfed the once sturdy stepping stone, liquifying it back into molten magma.

"Well that was cool," I remarked with a grin, turning towards the door.

"Hmph! Not so much as a 'thank you' for my brilliant idea!" Navi said indignantly. "I might remind the both of you that I could have simply flown across and left you behind!"

"True, but you need someone to open doors for you," Aryll pointed out.

Navi's blue glow blushed red. "You- I- Touché, Your Grace. Touché."

Stifling a snort, I pulled open the new door, allowing Navi and Aryll to enter before me. Immediately after the door closed behind us, a grate slid down in front of it, confining us to the spaces of the room.

It was a long, oval shaped room with no ceiling and no lava. The air was pleasant and fresh, with a cool breeze to relieve us from the hellish heat in the volcano. The only thing keeping the room from being wonderful was the hulking beast growling at us from the center of the room. Its eyes were blood red, complimenting its flowing mane of lava. Two extremely sharp tusks protruded from its open mouth, which revealed several rows of tiny but needle sharp teeth. Instinctively, I pushed Aryll behind me and readied my dagger.

The thing began to grunt and paw at the ground. I watched its muscles tense up as it readied to charge...

"Aryll, run to the side!" I yelled, standing my ground as the beast came charging at me in a flurry of rage. Aryll obediently ran and hid behind a pillar to the left, while Navi stuck by me, hovering close to my ear. I have to time this perfect so I don't get shish-kabobed. A Sheik-kabob! Hah! I crack myself up.

"Jump... now!" Navi hissed as I threw myself out of the monster's way. The thing ran into the portcullis that guarded the door, becoming woozy and disoriented from the impact.

"Navi, status report! What the hell is that?" I asked, backing up as the creature regained its senses and turned back to me.

"_Massae Canis, _more commonly referred to as a lava dog. These creatures live of the heat generated by their fiery manes. If you put it out, they will die. Underneath all of the fur, a lava dog has an impenetrable armor that protects it. Its only weak point is its soft underbelly, where the armor doesn't cover," Navi relayed as I dove out of the beast's way a second time.

"Thanks Nav!" I huffed, my eyes never leaving the lava dog.

I have to somehow get to its underbelly, since I don't have anything to put its mane out with and unfortunately it doesn't look like rain. It turned and prepared itself to charge again, while I prepared myself for what I was about to do.

As the dog began charging, I began running towards it. This obviously threw it off; it didn't think I was dumb enough to throw myself at it. That second of confusion was all I needed. I fell to the ground and slid right between its legs, all while slicing upward with my dagger. I silently thanked Link for teaching me how to slide in baseball in first grade.

The dog let out a long howl, then fell in a heap on the ground and lay still. The lava that made up the dog's mane slowed to a stop and hardened into a brown rock.

Aryll peeked out from around her pillar, then rushed towards me once she had determined it was safe. She eyed the dog's corpse warily before turning to look at me.

"Thanks again Sheik for keeping me safe," she mumbled, shifting her feet. "Sorry I'm never much help."

Sorry she's not much help? She's the reason we're all here! She's the reason I have free will, a personality, and a sense of adventure! She's the reason Hylians exist, she's the reason the Sheikah exist! She's the reason we have air to breathe and the will to live.

"Never apologize for being 'useless' again," I told her sharply. My tone of voice caused her to look up at me curiously. I knelt down to her height and grasped her by the shoulder's firmly. "Ayrll Austen Carstairs, you are the Goddess of the Skies. You helped _create the world_. Without you, none of us would be here. You gave us air. I'm here because of you. Link and Zelda are here because of you. If anyone is not much help, it's me. I'm just scrambling to repay a debt I never will fill. So thank _you, _Your Grace, and I am glad to be in your service."

I released her from my grasp and stood up, leaving the small girl to work through what I just said. I meant every word of it.

The doors were unbarred now. I threw open the new door, stepping in to survey the scene before Aryll, then gestured for her when I saw nothing threatening. It was one of those puzzle rooms that Aryll likes to do. I gestured towards the series of torches and buttons in front of me, smiling to myself as she ran towards them excitedly like a kid on Giving Day.

I hung back with Navi, watching as she read the cryptic hints engraved on a stone, fervently trying to make sense of the clues.

"You're good for her, Sheik," Navi commented casually, coming to land on her spot on my shoulder.

"Huh?"

"You're good for her. She needs someone who knows her. You're good with comforting her, and you're helping her realize who she is. Sometimes I think she has problems with facing the reality of situations, and you help snap her out of her fantasy. She needs to realize that this isn't a movie, and she could get killed," she said, staring sadly at Aryll, who was fumbling to pull a burning stick out of the only lit torch.

"Um... You're welcome, I guess," I said dumbly, looking down on the tiny fairy. She nodded, then turned to watch Aryll again. Do I help her that much? I didn't feel like I had any affect on her at all.

_"She likes you."_

_Sheik turned to face his friend, who was staring at him expectantly, waiting for a response._

_"Wha?"_

_"She likes you," Link said again, motioning towards the eight year old girl behind them. She had been staring at them and immediately looked down at the sand, pretending to not notice them as they looked at her._

_"Aryll? Don't be ridiculous. She never talks to me," Sheik scoffed, turning back around._

_"Because she gets all red and tongue-tied!" Link justified. "Believe me when I say this, Sheik. That girl is in L-O-V-E..."_

"Hey! Can you please come help me with this?"

Aryll's voice shook me out of my memory. She was staring at me expectantly, looking an awful lot like her big brother with her arms crossed and an impatient scowl plastered on her pretty face. Pretty? Since when has Aryll been pretty? I mean, she's not bad looking for a ten year old, but-

"Sheik?"

"Yeah! Yeah! I can help!" I burst out, walking towards the switches. I mentally kicked myself for sounding like a moron. "What do you need me to do?"

"Stand on that switch there while I stand on this one," she replied simply.

I nodded and did as instructed. The door was still barred.

"Oh, and light the torch right next to you," she added, passing me her burning stick.

"Aye aye, Cap'n!"

Link and I always called her the Captain. She was always bossing us around, so it made a heck of a lot of sense to us. As soon as I lit the torch, the bars retracted into the ceiling.

"Ta-da!" Aryll sang, stepping off her switch and smiling. I followed her and let the burning stick fall to the ground. I don't have to worry about starting a fire. The stick will just burn out and the flames will have no more fuel.

"Ladies first!" I drawled, sweeping in a low bow towards the door.

"Not when your ladies are in constant danger of being kidnapped and used in a nefarious plot to obtain the Triforce!" she reminded me, gesturing at me to open the door.

"Who the heck uses the word nefarious?"

"You sound so much like Link."

"Nah. Link sounds like me."

As soon as I opened the door, I knew something was wrong. I could sense the darkness and evil in the air. It was thick, clouding out the light. Something big and bad was in here. I positioned myself in front of Aryll and assumed my attack stance. Something was not right.

"Well, you certainly aren't the Hero and the Princess, are you?"

I bared my teeth at the sound of the sickeningly sweet voice. It was like someone took a rat and drenched it in honey. A shape materialized from the shadows, revealing the owner of the voice to be a Twili man. He wore long, dark robes. Turquoise marks were visible on the skin he had showing. Turquoise... there was something familiar about that...

"What do we have here? A little Sheikah boy, a puny fairy, and..." his already creepily wide smile stretched even further, threatening to jump off his face. "My, my. I do believe I am in the presence of a goddess. Excuse me for not recognizing you earlier, _Your Grace_, you're just smaller than I would have expected."

"I'm not short, I'm fun-sized!" Aryll squeaked from behind me, clinging to my leg. I fought back a laugh.

"Small and snarky, I see," the man growled. "This is, pardon my pun, child's play compared to what I was expecting. Hand over the goddess, boy."

I spread myself in front of Aryll. "Over my dead body will you be laying a hand on her," I hissed.

"That can be arranged, Sheikah!" he spat. "She is of no importance to you. I'll give you one last chance before I resort to violence. Hand over the girl."

"And I'll give you one last chance to get the hell out of here before I have to remove you personally," I snarled, stepping forward with my knife ready. The man looked amused.

"You are a persistent little one, aren't you? I think I'll offer you a deal, little Sheikah boy. Fight me. Fight me, and if you win, I'll let you and the goddess pass unharmed. For today. But if I win..." he grinned evilly. "I kill you and the goddess is mine," he finished in a whisper that sent chills down my spine.

"How do I know I can trust you? If I win and you don't die, how do I know you won't just snatch her away and slit my throat?" I demanded.

"What can I do to make you trust me?"

"Swear it. Swear it on Senja."

Senja is the most important goddess in Twili history. When the Twili were banned from the world of light, they were doomed to walk the lines between life and death. Senja felt pity for the poor race and created a realm of their own, one of shadow and darkness. She also created a mirror for them, a mirror that would allow them to travel between their land and the land of light. 'Senja' means twilight in their language, which is how they earned their name; the Twili. Swearing an oath in Senja's name is one of the boldest things a Twili can do. An oath on Senja is unbreakable, or your life is forfeit.

"And what will you swear on? Swearing on Senja means nothing to you," the man shot back, obviously trusting me about as much as I trusted him.

"I'll swear on her," I said, gesturing back at Aryll. "I swear on the mighty goddess Hylia that if I lose this duel, I will hand you my life and... the mighty goddess Hylia."

"Smooth!" Aryll hissed.

"I swear on the most beloved goddess Senja that if I lose, I spare your life and hers and leave you alone for this day," the man declared. "After today, you're both fair game."

"And I get to kill you?" I added.

"Of course."

I nodded and began to step to the center of the room, but a hand shot forward and grabbed my arm. I turned to see Aryll, her blue eyes brimming with tears threatening to spill.

"You can't do this, Sheik," she pleaded.

"Aryll, I swore an oath on you. I have to. This is the only way I can get you out of here safely," I told her, shaking free of her grasp.

"But what if you lose?" she asked, wiping her fear-filled eyes on her sleeve.

"I won't lose," I replied simply, joining the man in the center of the room. He was smiling at me in a way I found uncomfortable.

"Your bravery intrigues me, Sheikah. You're either very stupid or very loyal to that girl. Either way, I am curious to see if your bravery remains intact when you are begging for mercy on your knees," he hissed.

"Are you going to talk me to death or are we doing this the manly way?" I asked, raising my knife.

The man smiled back at me. "You're going down painfully, kid."

We paced backwards until we were the appropriate distance away from each other, and the duel began. We circled each other, each of us waiting for the other to make the first move.

I noticed a few things as we eyed each other. He carries no weapon, meaning he plans to fight with magic. Twili fight with dark magic, which can be counteracted by a bearer of light magic such as myself. He favors his left side. He appears to be left handed, and faces his left side towards me. If he is trying to determine my weak side, he will not find one. All Sheikah are trained to be ambidextrous from a young age. I'll play like I favor my right side for now, though. Never reveal your strengths to your enemy.

He attacked first, probably bored of me observing him. He sent a ball of energy flying my way. I easily deflected the magic off my knife, like hitting a ball with a bat. Licking his lips, he threw a series of magic bursts at me, wanting to test my limits. I hit them all away. He better step it up before I get bored.

As if he was reading my thoughts, he suddenly ran at me with blinding speed. Before I managed to comprehend what was going on, his foot connected with my chest, and I was forced against the wall. I felt the air squeeze out of my lungs like an accordion, and my head smack against the stone wall. His fingers crackled with deadly dark magic, ready to end my life then and there.

"This was all too easy," he murmured, more to himself than to me. "I was hoping you'd put up a good fight."

He raised his hand, ready to bring the magic down on my heart, but my hand shot out and grabbed his arm, wrenching it to the side and effectively flipping the man onto his back.

"You'll get your good fight!" I snapped, pointing my dagger at his throat. I thrust downward, only to find him gone. The bastard can teleport.

Quickly, I spun around with my foot outstretched, hoping he would have tried to come up behind me and catch me unaware. My assumption was correct, and my foot made contact with the soft flesh of his stomach. He let out a grunt as he flailed backwards, shooting a spurt of magic towards me as he stumbled. I managed to dodge the blast, but not before it grazed my forearm. I screamed. Blinding pain coursed through my arm, quickly replaced by a dull throbbing. Holy Nayru! I wasn't even hit full on!

Dodging another round of his blasts, I readied a set of Sheikah needles. Turning to see him charging at me, I jumped up, watching him run under me and sending my needles after him. Three struck him in the back, causing him to yell out and his anger to grow. I landed gracefully on my feet, and was there to greet him with a punch to the face as he turned back around.

He jumped back, holding his now bleeding nose and glaring at me venomously with his snakelike eyes. "I tire of these games, boy. You appear to be more talented than I expected. This has been fun, but now you must die."

"That's no way to end a play date," I grumbled, jumping away from him as he advanced towards me.

He conjured up a handful of spears, crafted out of raw, jagged dark magic. Proceeding to throw them at me a rapid speed, I was forced to throw myself to the ground. Quickly casting another handful of his little darts, the man smiled gruesomely down at me.

"Now I've got you!" he cried, sending another flurry of darts in my direction.

One struck me in the arm, causing me to cry out. Another wave of blinding pain passed through me, and I yanked it out as I rolled out of the way. Time to disappear. Concentrating my magic, I remembered the tricks Impa taught me. Clear your mind, and become one with your surroundings. And I was gone. Aryll screamed, and the man yelled a string of curses as I became invisible. I grinned to myself and stood up, watching as the man turned in all directions, searching for me.

Coming up behind him, I tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, and I punched him in the face. Jumping out of the way as he stabbed a spear into the air in front of him, I tapped his other shoulder. He turned around again, the moron, and I rewarded him with another punch. Swiping his feet from underneath him, I sent him to the floor. Grinning to myself, I pinned him down and began to land punch after punch on his face, raining blow after blow-

Until his hands shot up and gripped mine with a surprising strength. My invisibility slipped as he flipped me over, pinning me down to the ground. His eyes were full of menace, looking truly terrifying with his bloody face. I struggled in his grasp, and he grabbed my head and slammed it into the stone floor. My vision blurred and everything became out of focus. I was vaguely aware of the man's fists slamming into my face, but I could only feel numbness. Darkness called to me, beckoning sweetly. The calls of darkness were so much better than the man's laughter, Navi's cries, and Aryll's screams...

Aryll's screams! I can't give up! I need to do it for Aryll! Regaining my strength, I brought my knee sharply upward, slamming into the man's stomach. He yelled and rolled off of me, and I managed to stagger to my feet. I wiped my hand across my face, barely noticing how my skin came back slick with blood. The man was glaring daggers at me, his arms outstretched and charged with magic.

"I grow tired of this," he hissed. Yeah, well you're not the only one, bud.

I barely had time to throw up a shield as his next onslaught of magic came crashing towards me. He was now resorting to using pure magic; magic at its purest form that does the most damage but requires the most energy. Gritting my teeth, I forced energy into my shield as his magic slammed against it. His attacks just keep coming! I need to break his concentration... Using one hand to hold my shield in place, I reached into my pack and groped around until my fingers wrapped around something round and smooth. Perfect.

I'll only have a few seconds after this is activated, so I'll have to time it perfectly... Waiting until he had just thrown another wave of pure magic at me, which was indeed beginning to crack my shield, I threw the object to the ground. A blinding flash of light instantly filled the room, and I leapt out of his range and crept behind him, making it just as the flash faded. Deku nuts are the best things in the world.

Blinking the confusion out of his eyes, the man began to turn, scanning the room for me. I made sure to follow his turns, all the while staying directly behind him. After I'd had enough of that game, I tapped his shoulder, and surprise, surprise, he turned. I punched him in the face. He roared in anger and attempted to grab me, but I ducked away and kicked at random, not my smartest move for he grabbed my leg and tripped me to the ground.

Grunting as I tried to writhe away, he began to send electrical pulses of dark magic through my body. I screamed as the charges of extreme pain coursed through my body, and quickly shot a strong burst of my own electrical energy through my leg and into his arm. He yelled out in pain and dropped me, and I scrambled to my feet.

I've had enough of this. I turned and tackled him to the ground, barely noticing a prick in my arm. I held his arms down and began muttering a binding incantation, watching as ropes of my magic tied him to the ground. He struggled and hissed, his eyes burning with hatred. Seeing that he was securely tied, I began reaching for my knife. But something made me pause. His gaze was no longer hateful, but intrigued. Following his line of sight, I saw he was staring at the necklace that hung around my neck. It must have come out from beneath my shirt.

The necklace isn't mine. It's my sister Teagan's. I took it with me when I left to have something to remind me of her. It's a flat, purple circle with markings that look like a triangle with a circle above each corner. She's had it forever, or at least since I can remember. The man seems absolutely fascinated with it.

Ignoring this, I raised my knife and-

"Enough!"

My bonds broke and he disappeared, reappearing behind me. I stepped back, still holding the knife in front of me.

"I am done with this. I cannot kill you." Normally, I would feel accomplished that a strong magic user couldn't defeat me, but his tone made it sound like he wasn't allowed to kill me.

"So I win?" I demanded.

"I suppose, by default. You put up quite the fight and I am impressed," the man said, his eyes still on Teagan's necklace. Aryll's face was instantly flooded with relief, and Navi zipped over to hover at my side.

"So I get to kill you," I said with a wicked smile. He grinned back.

"I never swore to that."

And he was gone, disappeared in a flurry of black squares called twilight. I opened my mouth an closed it, a sudden rage filling my mind. But I was too tired to act on it. The battle-high was gone, leaving me feeling drained, sore, and numb. A sharp continuous pain throbbed from my upper left arm, but I paid no attention to it. I just staggered over to Aryll, who's eyes were filled with concern and anger.

"You ar_e _never, you hear me, _never _doing that again!" she yelled, grabbing me by the ear and dragging me down to her eye-level. I winced and whimpered weakly, managing to nod. Her expression softened a bit, and she released my ear. "Sorry, I... uh, nice fighting. It was truly impressive," she told me, looking at the ground.

"Thanks," I murmured, suddenly feeling a little dizzy.

"You okay?" Aryll asked. She looked me over, then she froze and her eyes widened as she saw my arm. "Oh shoot. Sheik..." she trailed off and didn't finish her sentence. She just grabbed my arm and dragged me back through the room we had come through.

"Aryll, you're going the wrong way," I slurred, barely aware of her dragging me down a hallway and up some stairs. We soon found ourselves in one of the alcoves I had shot the Bokoblins from in the Venus-flytrap zero-gravity water room. She sat me down and turned to Navi, both of them whispering frantically.

"Secrets secrets are no fun, unless you tell everyone," I reminded them, agitated that they wouldn't tell me what was happening.

"Um, Sheik," Navi said.

"Yeah, what?"

"Look at your arm."

I did and almost threw up at what I saw. It was some form of Zant's magic; some hideous bug with its stinger buried straight in my arm. The area around the stinger was bleeding, oozing and swollen, and the bug looked up at me with beady eyes as if to taunt me. Nauseated by the sight, I sliced the bug off my arm with my knife. The bug shriveled up an died, but the stinger was still embedded in my skin, blood and pus still seeping from the wound.

"I- you- g-get it out!" I cried, reaching for it.

"Don't touch it!" Aryll screamed slapping my hand away. "It's poison, and you'll only spread it! There's a certain spell for removing poison, but it hurts. Just sit still and let me do this."

"It's poison?" my voice rose to a very unmanly pitch, and my face lost all color it might have had.

"That's what she said, didn't you hear her?" Navi snapped, her arms crossed and her face taut with worry.

"Can't you heal it? You're a fairy," I pleaded, watching as Aryll began muttering a chant and glowing an unearthly gold.

"No can do, mister. I'm a guide fairy, a navi-gator, if you will. I can only heal a person once, and that would be the last thing I would ever do," she told me gravely.

"If you healed someone, you'd die?"

"That's what I said!" she screeched. "Geez mon! Try listening for a change!"

I looked away, a little scared by her yelling and found myself looking at the stinger again. Aryll's gold hands were now positioned over it, and her face was expectant, looking up at me.

"You ready? This will hurt," she warned me.

I gulped. "Just do it."

She nodded and I watched as tendrils of gold magic dripped from her hands and wrapped themselves around the large stinger. Gently, they began to pull the singer out. I winced a little, but overall it wasn't bad. In no, time, the stinger was out, and Aryll's magic strands tossed it into the lava below. I exhaled and smiled at her.

"Well that wasn't so ba-"

My sentence was cut short as the magic strands plunged into the opening the stinger had cerated in my arm. I screamed out in pain. I felt like my innards were being sucked up a straw! The pain was lasting for years! Eternities!

"Sheik, I'm done."

Trembling, I opened one eye and looked at Aryll. The tendrils were no longer gold, but a purplish brown.

"I'm so sorry I had to do that, Sheik, but you would have died if I didn't. That was a clever trick that man pulled," she said bitterly, releasing her poison-filled magic strands into the lava and turning back to me.

"I don't think he wanted to kill me. He said so..." I trailed off uncertainly. He's evil. Evil people break oaths, even to Senja.

"He wanted you dead," Aryll said flatly. "Now, you had better rest up. I'm not letting you go anywhere until you've slept."

"Not unless you sleep. You've got to be exhausted Ary," I said, looking at the dark circles beneath the young girl's eyes. She sighed in defeat.

"I think a nice rest will benefit all of us. And maybe when we wake up, the Hero will have decided to do his job and I can get to Eldin's Spring," she mumbled, already cuddling in next to me.

We arranged ourselves in our typical sleeping pattern. Aryll lies next to me, and I sleep nestled up to her for body heat. I have an arm over her protectively, and I'm angled perfectly so I can jump up if necessary. I'm trained to sleep extremely light, so I'll be up if so much as a dragonfly beats its wings near me. Navi settles down in Aryll's hair, draping some of the blonde over her like a blanket. Now it's simply a stand-off to see who falls asleep first.

Aryll is the first to surrender herself to sleep. Her breathing slows and becomes even, and her body relaxes against mine. Navi and I smile at each other, listening to the silence and waiting for sleep to take us into its welcoming arms. Navi is the next to go, her tiny eyes closing and her rapid heartbeat slowing just a little bit. For a while it's just me. Then my eyelids begin to droop, and my yawns become frequent. I accept sleep willingly, glad for the chance to escape reality...

* * *

><p>"...kind of nice, actually, if you think about it."<p>

"It would be nice if I wasn't constantly terrified that a giant ambush is going to leap out at us out of nowhere."

My eyes snap open instantly at the sound of voices. I felt something dark. Carefully, so as not to disturb the sleeping girl and fairy next to me, I crept to the edge of the overlook and peeked out at the room below.

The bad feeling instantly subsided, and my heart swelled and I felt a grin spread across my face. There was Link, standing by the door. My best mate since kindergarten. I opened my mouth to shout a greeting to him, but caught myself just in time. I'm not supposed to interact with him. I have to observe from afar like a stalker.

He looks different. There are very dark circles beneath his eyes. He's lost weight. Not that he was fat to begin with, but if it wasn't for his newly acquired muscles, he would be a walking skeleton. And his eyes. They aren't the smiling, mischievous blue eyes I've always known. They are hard and as piercing as steel. They are the eyes of a warrior.

Shuddering, I turned my gaze to the second person in the room. Well, fourth if you count Aryll and I. Four people and a fairy.

It was Zelda, dressed in a Sheikah garment similar to mine. There was something different about her, too. Not physically. Just... _different_. The way she walked, strutting like she owned the place. The way she talked, in a mysterious, flirtatious manner. Something about her was... fake. My eyes widened in realization.

It's not Zelda.

That girl parading around with Link is not Zelda. I don't know who or what she is, but it is not Zelda. Link is in danger, and I have no way I can help him without revealing myself. Watching helplessly as they figured out the water puzzle and entered the next room, I knew I could do nothing. But I have to do something. She is a doppelgänger sent by the Dark King. That explains the darkness I sensed when she entered. Whoever she is and whatever she's doing, it's not good. I have to warn Link before it's too late.

That girl is not Zelda.

* * *

><p><strong>There you have it!<strong>

**1. I'm going to say that Hylia created the Sheikah, okay? Okay.**

**2. "Giving Day" is Christmas, I just thought that since they don't believe in Christ, it would not be called Christmas.**

**3. Senja is twilight in Indonesian. Indonesian is now going to be the Twili language. Latin is Hylian, Hawaiian is Setian, and Indonesian is Twili.**

**4. My battle scene is bad, sorry... I hate Zant...**

**5. I pronounce Sheik's sister's name Tee-gan, where gan rhymes with can. Teagan.**

**Anyway, please, please pretty please tell me what you thought! I know you all want more Link and not-Zelda, but please just drop me a review on the chapter! I know you are all physically capable of pressing the little button and typing "Cool" then hitting the little send button! I mean, there are 98 people following this story. 98. And some of you have never reviewed! Believe me, the favorites and follows show you like the story, but it helps me know _how much_ you like it when you review. And they mean so much. I go back a reread to see what people have guessed and what people have said... Could some of you who have never reviewed maybe review? That would make me so incredibly happy... See, here's a smiley face. :)  
>After that overly-dramatic speech... next chapter soon!<strong>

**~Leila**

**Oh! I've posted some summaries of stories I'd like to potentially publish! Check them out please, and tell me what you think!**


	27. Chapter 26

**Hey there. I'll keep this short, because we all want to get to Link and Zelda.**

**Thank you so very very much to Iranda20, pyrosavvy5, Katia0203, ShadowNinja1011, xVocaloidinax, Not-Alone-Anymore, Farore64, BrokeHydra21, Jupsi, DarkOppressor, BLUEDYNAMO12, Courtney, iluvzelda123, erico637, TFotN, KitaiKnight97, StattStatt, LauParisi, Princess Zelda-figure skater, Sheikagal, WolfenAmphirite, GlissGirl99, guest, and Awesomest for reviewing! You guys are all amazing and made my day!**

**Today's chapter takes us to Dragon Roost City in Eldin Province. Picture the city looking something like Minas Tirith (I had to look up the name, I just remembered it was the cool city in the last movie), or the White City from Lord of the Rings.**

**Thanks guys! And special thanks to MusicGamer, my beta ;)**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Six (Link)<p>

Arriving in the volcano-centric city of Dragon Roost was a huge relief after traveling through those demon-ridden, smoldering, ruined towns. After leaving the clearing in Hyrule Field, we had started to make our way towards Dragon Roost. To get to Dragon Roost, you have to travel through Ikana Canyon, which is not the desired place to be. The city is supposed to be a wonderful place, but Ikana Canyon is a totally different story. Stories and rumors of walking dead, castle ruins and thief hideouts run rampant through Hyrule. Yet unless you take a boat, or ride the newly opened Spirit Tracks, you have to brave your way through the canyon.

Every single town we came across had been taken over and infested with hideous monsters, the pig things that Zelda has started to call Bokoblins. There were a few lizard men, or Lizalfos, and more than plenty walking skeletons called Stalfos. And every single citizen seemed to have someone they couldn't find, or something they forgot in a burning house, or an injured cousin... The trip through the canyon took longer than expected, turning the simple half-day trip into one and a half days.

But I've never felt like more of a Hero in my life. The way people looked at me as I walked lifted wreckage off of their frail bodies, or their tears as I reunited them with their young daughter... It was priceless. It was the best feeling in the world.

Despite the good feeling of helping people, it was nice to be in the not burning, not monster infested Dragon Roost. The whole town is arranged in a circular pattern around the massive dormant volcano, Death Mountain. The Gorons and the Rito used to reside in a hollowed out cities inside the volcano, constantly warring and fighting over possession of the mighty mountain. After centuries of rivalry and bad blood, they made peace and came together to build the gigantic city around the volcano. The Rito got to name it Dragon Roost, after their city in the volcano, as long as the volcano kept the name the Gorons gave it. Death Mountain.

After I helped Zelda off Epona, I sent the chestnut mare off to graze in Hyrule Field. She'll come back when I call her. We cleared our entrance at the giant front gates. They weren't quite as elaborate as the Gates of Domain, but were carved out of Eldin Ore, a treasured mineral mined out of the volcano.

Inside the city was bustling with activity. The streets were extremely narrow and were lined with stalls, tents and blankets of merchants, each peddling something different from its neighbors. Goron ruby necklaces were sold next to hand-bound notebooks. Flowers were displayed next to a rack of fine volcanic wine. Everything was cramped, busy, and exciting.

We walked down the crowded streets, not saying anything but drinking in the energy of the town. My eyes didn't know where to rest, there was just too much going on! Merchants called from their posts, eager to entice buyers with their wares. A constant murmur of chatter was kept by the people bartering with marketers or casually talking with one another.

Several smells drifted our way, and I closed my eyes and inhaled the fragrant air. Some sort of meat sizzled at an outdoor grill not too far away. Fresh bread was baking at a bakery, incense burned my nostrils, and so did a strong smell of cinnamon. The thought of it all made my stomach growl, minus the incense. I could do without the incense.

The Gerudo influence from the south was very prominent; painted clay pots and beads, glass trinkets, and brightly patterned silk scarves were sold at various stalls, as well as several Gerudo foods. Another influence was eminent that surprised me. There were hints of Outset here and there; sea glass bowls, palm woven baskets, coconut statues, and bouquets of exotic flowers. I bit my lip and looked down at the ground. Of course there is Setian here. Outset is the first major island off the coast of Rito Bay.

"Wow! Look at this place!" Zelda cried, twirling in a circle on the street.

"I can't look at it. There's too much to look at!" I exclaimed, eyeing a shimmering gem apparently called a 'Goddess Plume'.

"Isn't it wonderful? It reminds me of-" she cut herself short.

"Of what?" I pressed.

"When I was little, my father took me to a Gerudo market. It was a lot like this," she said slowly, finishing with an odd little half-smile.

"I wish I traveled as a kid. Sometimes I checked out those travel books at the library to decide where I was going to run away to. Gerudo Desert was high on my list," I told her with a smile. She smiled back.

"And why was that?"

"Two words: Hot chicks!" I laughed. She smacked my shoulder and rolled her eyes.

"You are so... Impossible!" she exclaimed, unclasping her necklace and holding it out to me. "Here, hold this. I want to try on those necklaces over there."

I took it hesitantly and watched as she flounced over to a stall selling genuine gratitude crystal necklaces. She never takes off her necklace. Never. Even in gymnastics meets when you're not supposed to wear any jewelry, she told me she sticks it in her sports bra. I could have lived a long, happy life not knowing that.

Shrugging it off, it's not even that big of a deal, I walked over to join her.

Zelda was admiring her reflection in a mirror the saleslady had set up, adjusting the necklace. People around us were beginning to stare and whisper. I picked up a few words, like 'green,' 'hero,' and 'Ikana,' but I ignored them and pretended to be interested in a gratitude necklace. I'm a little disturbed by how fast that news traveled anyway. It only happened like twelve hours ago!

"I like this one," Zelda said thoughtfully, donning a necklace with a gratitude crystal carved into Din's mark; three lines stacked on top of each other, with one end of each top line ending in a circle.

"I like your old necklace better," I told her. Why Din? It's always been Nayru for her. Always.

"Mm. It's old. I want to try something new. I'll take this one please," she said, directing the conversation to the saleslady, who tore her gaze from me to take the Rupee Zelda handed her and give her change.

I turned to leave, wondering why Zelda's taste in goddesses had suddenly changed, when someone grabbed my hand. I turned to see the saleslady looking up at me, her large eyes intent.

"I want to thank you for what you did in Ikana," she told me, her voice low. "You saved many lives, including those of my sister and niece. Thank you."

I smiled at her and grasped her hand tightly before letting it go. "You're welcome."

I considered adding something super hero cheesy, like "No problem, ma'am, just doing my duty to justice!" but decided against it. Super heroes are just sissies in tights anyway. They make hero work look too easy.

Wandering our way through the labyrinth of streets, Zelda paused often to point things out like dragon scale purses, or Gerudo woven rugs. Why the hell she wants a rug, I have no idea. As we stopped at another stall, I slid Zelda's necklace into my pocket with my mom's necklace, all the charms jangling as it fell next to the symbol of Farore pendant. I'm not sure why she doesn't want it, but I'll hold onto it until she does.

A shadow passed over the streets as we walked, and I looked up to see what was blocking the sun. Flying over the city was a dragon. Fear gripped my heart, and I almost let out a yell of fear, but I caught myself just in time. The Gorons use the volcano to mine their food from Dodongo's Cavern. The Rito use Dragon Roost as a place to breed and train dragons. There are dragons here. Dragons are common here. The dragons here are tame. Clenching and unclenching my fists helped a little. Taking deep breaths helped a little. But nothing could stop the flash of memories. Zelda's scream as the claws raked her stomach, rolling out of the way of the dragon's giant feet, blood pouring onto the floor...

"Link?"

I opened my eyes, finding Zelda looking at me with concern in her eyes. We were now at the base of the mighty Death Mountain. It was a lot quieter here. the only sounds were a group of miners trekking up the volcano to the mines and a couple women talking as they did laundry at a hot spring.

"Are you okay?" Zelda asked, stroking my face with her delicate fingers.

"Yeah, sorry. Just... Heat exhaustion. I'm fine now," I lied, shivering as her hands touched my face. She arched an eyebrow.

"Heat exhaustion can be deadly. Do you need to see a doctor?" she asked, lacing her fingers with mine.

"Um... No. It passed," I said dumbly. "...Let's just get to the temple."

We walked in silence, watching as the sun dipped beneath the horizon. Rays of pink and orange glittered over the nearby ocean, providing a beautiful scenery from our high position. Neither of us said very much; Zelda was studying the map intently, and I decided to entertain myself by counting the weird bomb-shaped flowers that lined the path. One, two, three, four...

One thousand seven-hundred and thirty-three, one thousand seven-hundred and thirty-four...

"Are we there yet?" I whined, looking over at a seemingly serene Zelda.

"We'll get there when we get there!" she snapped back, breaking her calm look. She is just as tired as I am.

"Mom, I have to go to the bathroom!" I joked, nudging her a bit. A smirk played on her lips.

"Don't make me come back there!"

We both laughed, smiling at each other like we used to. "But in all seriousness, when the hell are we getting there?" I asked.

"It should be right up here. On the map, someone wrote something about a hidden door, so we'll need to keep our eyes open for..." she trailed off, squinting in disbelief at something up ahead.

I followed her gaze and found her staring at a wide open cave, a tunnel leading deeper into the volcano.

"So... not so hidden?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I guess... Well, shall we?" she asked, offering me her arm.

"We shall."

I took her arm and led her into the dark tunnel. I immediately decided one thing about this new temple place. It was creepy. As we made our way through the various rooms, there wasn't a sound. Or any movement. Or anything at all. There was no monsters anywhere, just an occasional pile of corpses. The sight made me shudder. Something was up.

"Someone got here before us..." I muttered as Zelda bent to inspect the wounds inflicted on a pig-thing. A few porcupine quill looking things protruded from its back.

"Sheikah needles..." she murmured, yanking the porcupine quill thing from its back.

"She- what?"

"Sheikah needles. Weapons of the Goddess Warriors," she told me bitterly, throwing the needle to the ground. "They're extremely dangerous. Now, let's keep going. This place gives me the creeps."

The eerie silence blanketed the temple, adding to the horror-movie effect. I kept waiting for an insane man wielding an axe to jump out and yell "Here's Johnny!" Every nerve in my body was on edge, every instinct telling me to stay on guard.

"It's kind of nice, actually, if you think about it," Zelda said, breaking the terrifying silence as she opened a door. This room had a river of lava cutting through its center, with some sort of plant hanging above it.

"It would be nice if I wasn't constantly terrified that a giant ambush is going to leap out at us out of nowhere," I replied.

"They're all dead. You saw the bodies," she reminded me, stepping forward to inspect the weird plant hanging above our heads. It looked like leafy jaws clamping down over a drop of water that somehow denied gravity and wasn't falling.

"How the hell is that staying up there?" I wondered aloud.

"Hm?"

"That drop of water! Why does it get to break the laws of gravity?" I asked.

"Am I supposed to come up with an intelligent answer for that?"

"You have the Triforce of Wisdom."

"Idiotic questions aren't really its field of strength."

"Ouch."

I gazed back up at the stupid drop of water. "I'll throw a rock at it," I decided, picking up a decent-sized piece of igneous rock and tossing it lightly in my hand. Bringing my arm back, I hurled the stone at the plant. It met its mark, and to my satisfaction, the gravity defying son-of-a-bitch came hurtling to earth. I expected that. What I didn't expect was when the water came in contact with the lava, a loud hiss ensued and a piece of ground solidified from the magma.

"Cool! See, idiotic questions can lead to great things. Like making rocks on lava," I told her as we jumped hastily across the rickety foothold.

"I'll give you that one, string bean," Zelda agreed, opening the door.

I laughed and started to follow her, but paused. I had the feeling that I was being watched. I turned, but saw no one. Shaking my head, I followed Zelda through the door. This whole Hero thing has made me paranoid.

We entered a room with a series of lit torches and already pressed buttons. Not a surprise. The rest of the temple was solved, why would this room be any different? the next room was outdoors and circular. The walls and floor were cream-colored stone, and the sky shone above. Various puddles and streaks of browning crimson glimmered out at us from different spots in the room. There were no bodies.

"What happened here?" Zelda murmured, leaning down to drag a finger through a half-dry pool of blood.

"Looks violent," I commented. I noted a small pile of discarded Sheikah needles, as well as what looked like an empty nutshell. "What the Din is this?"

Zelda looked over. "Deku nut. Another Sheikah trademark," she told me. "This is bad. Sheikah are nothing but bad news."

"Not all of them. Sheik has some Sheikah in him. Thus the name Sheik."

"Sheik is annoying," she said, standing up.

I frowned. "Since when? I find him rather charming, thanks," I snapped in defense of my best friend.

"Still, he never shuts up. Come on, we better keep moving. Something bad could be coming," she said, with an out of place giggle. There's something wrong with her...

"Isn't the next room the last one before the spring?" I asked, hopeful that Aryll might actually be there this time.

"Yeah, right after the boss room. Anything or anyone could be in there!"

"...Uh-huh..."

What the hell is her deal right now? Her smile is bright, but creepy. Something feral is in her eyes. Is she okay? She's been a little odd since Ikana, acting all eager and excited for_something_, but what the hell could she be excited for? Whatever is going on with her, I hope she figures it out soon because I don't like it.

Pulling the door opened, we entered the circular, dimly lit room. It was empty; there was no sign of a threatening creature or person anywhere.

"Where's the monster?" I finally asked bluntly, shattering the ever-delicate silence.

"Hm, where could the monster be?" she mused. "Why assume it's a monster though? Not just monsters want to kill you."

"What?"

"There's quite a few people out there who would love to see your blood spilled as well," she told me, taking a couple steps forward with her back to me.

"Z, what is-"

"Oh, Link. I never thought you were that dense. But sometimes you can't see a threat when it's right in front of your face."

"I don't-"

At that moment, Zelda spun around, and before I could react, her foot connected with my ribcage and sent me flying. I landed on the floor and skidded to a halt, slamming into the wall.

"Z-Zelda! W-what are you...?" I trailed off, staggering to my feet.

Appearing in front of my face, she grabbed my shirt collar and looked me straight in the eye, a new menace ruling her face. "What am I doing? What I've wanted to do for a long time!" she yelled, throwing me to the other half of the room with surprising strength. My head cracked on the stone ground, and I groaned.

She came to stand over me and licked her lips eagerly. "Do you know how hard it was to pretend to like you? To slap on a smile and play up the romance when all I wanted to do was slit your throat with a knife?" she demanded, punching me squarely in the face.

Blood trickled from my nose and onto my lips, tasting metallic on my tongue. I didn't move. I just stared up at Zelda, unsure of what to say. My heart was frozen in my chest. I couldn't breathe. My eyes were wide, and tears were threatening to spill.

"You-you can't mean that!" I cried.

"I can, you damn brat! I hate you! I hate you so much it hurts to look at you!" she screamed, thrusting me into the air with a strong burst of magic.

The floor came at me hard and fast, and my face was there to greet it when we met. I grunted in pain, vaguely aware of Zelda coming to stand over me again. She had her hands on her hips and a smug grin on her face.

"Look at the brave Hero of Hyrule. Are you going to cry? Am I making you cry?" she asked with mock-concern.

"Zelda-"

"No! Shut up!" I received a kick to the face. "I can't take this anymore. I'm leaving. Back to my master, who, by the way, killed your parents. How do you like that, your pretty princess is in league with your parent's murderer."

Sharp pain stabbed my heart, and I lost whatever breath I had. No. No, no, no! She bent down to stroke my face.

"I was lenient this time, only because of orders," she whispered. "Bye, Link. Next time we meet, I'll be sure to see your blood staining my blade."

And with that, she kissed me hotly on the lips and disappeared with a cackle.

No. No. It's not real, it's not true. My heart began thudding faster, my breathing returned at an irregular pace... Hyperventilating, I jumped to my feet with a yell of rage. I slammed my fist on the wall, wincing as pain raced through my arm. Dammit! Damn her! It was all a goddessdamned lie!

All those times I thought she cared, that she listened, that she wanted to help, they're fake. Not real. Acting. I fell for it like a fucking idiot, taking the bait and walking straight into the trap. Damn, damn, damn, damn! Silent sobs racked my body, and I knelt to the floor, holding my knees to my chest and burying my head between them. Why? Is this some kind of sick trial set by the goddesses? Why do they hate me? Tears streamed down my cheeks, taking the blood with them in a watery pink river.

Why do I care? Why do I give a damn? This is all for Aryll. Only for Aryll. Not Zelda. Fuck Zelda. When I see her again, I'll be sure to see _her _blood staining the Master Sword. She never mattered anyway.

Pulling myself to my feet, I wiped my face. I won't be as stupid now. I'll put up a steel wall, keep a heart of ice and wear my warrior face. I won't fall for the same thing ever again. I work alone. From now on, I'm a different Link.

Watch out world.

Ready or not, here I come.

I strode towards the door to the spring with new purpose. Whoever gets in my way will be making the biggest mistake in their life.

Right on cue, a shape fell from the ceiling and landed in front of me. They wore clothes practically identical to Zelda's, with the exception of the scarf that hid the stranger's face, save fierce red eyes and blonde bangs. A Sheikah.

I drew my sword and pointed it at the Sheikah, a snarl on my lips. His eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and he took a step backwards.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said, in a low voice that was obviously being faked.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded, raising my sword slightly.

"Sh-eldon, at your service," he replied, sweeping into a low bow.

* * *

><p>(Sheik)<p>

The not-Zelda disappeared in a dim flash of orange light just as I reached the catwalk above the final room. Aryll was right on my heels accompanied by Navi. Shit. I'm too late.

Cringing as Link slammed his fist into the wall, I turned back to Aryll. I've never felt so helpless in my life. Am I supposed to watch as he cries in a ball on the floor?

"What can I do?" I whispered, careful not to raise my voice.

"We have to do something!" she hissed back, her eyes full of sadness and concern for her brother below.

His mindset had apparently changed in the last few seconds. He stood up and wiped his tears, no longer crying. His face was damn scary. He looked absolutely calm and uncaring, save for an unhealthy anger burning in his blue eyes. He began to walk towards the door to Eldin's Spring, and I suddenly had an idea.

Before Aryll could stop me, I pulled my cowl over my face and jumped down, landing right in front of him. What happened next scared the shit out of me.

He drew his sword.

My best friend, the sunny, smiley boy I've known since kindergarten, was pointing as sword at me, his eyes dangerous. A lump formed in my throat, but I quickly swallowed it.

"I'm not here to hurt you," I heard myself saying, making my voice lower than usual so he won't recognize it.

"Who the hell are you?" he snapped, not relaxing from his battle stance.

"Sh-Sheldon, at your service," I said, bowing for effect. I hope I'm coming across as respectful, mysterious Sheikah ally guy.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Sheldon? Did your parents hate you or something?"

"That's what I said!" I snapped. "Not that you're to talk about odd names, Hero. Link isn't exactly the most common name in Hyrule."

"How do you know my name?" he demanded.

"I'll tell you in due time," I said, trying to keep up the mysterious act. "For now, I just need you to trust me."

"Zelda says Sheikah are dangerous," he said, narrowing his eyes. Oh for the love of Nayru.

"And you trust her words after that little display?" I demanded harshly.

His eyes widened and he lowered his sword. I felt a small pang in my heart. I didn't mean to hurt him.

"Look, I want to help you, Hero. That wasn't your Zelda. Something was wrong. That wasn't Zelda," I said, repeating myself to get the point across.

"What the hell do you mean 'that wasn't Zelda?' Of course it was! Who else would it be! Where would Zelde be if that wasn't her?" he yelled, his eyes flashing with anger.

I opened my mouth to reply, but saw Aryll motioning for me to pull back. I closed my mouth an nodded subtly. "Hero, you have to trust me on this one. I would never wish anything ill on you, and please hear me when I say that wasn't Zelda. Be careful," I added as a final warning.

With that, I threw my last Deku nut on the ground and jumped straight up as Link swore colorfully at the blinding light.

Perched back up above the room with Aryll, I watched silently as my friend continued on his way to Eldin's Spring.

May the goddesses watch over you, Link.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew. How was that?! I love that water drop. Great minds think alike, Link and Sheik! Also, Link was nervous about dragons because of the dragon he fought previously in Nayru's temple. Just to clear that up.<strong>

**Anyway, tell me how that was. Maybe we can get to 400 plus reviews? :):) Holy crap that would be awesome! I get all giggly just thinking about that!**

**Thanks y'all. Next chapter soon!**

**~Leila**


	28. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! I know I'm torturing you all and keeping you from finding out where Zelda is, but I'm having a chapter featuring other characters today! Zelda is next. I promise. But that doesn't mean that chapter will give everything away! I am so evil.**

**Thank you so very much to my beloved reviewers Rich, BlueMonkeyDoll, Farore64, BrokeHydra21, MY 400TH REVIEWER Xana100, Jupsi, barrissandahsokafriendz, DarkOppressor, xVocaloidianx, erico637, GlissGirl99, Beachshowlover1, ShadowNinja1011, vermilion ruby, StattStatt, Sheikagal, pyrosavvy5, and Princess Zelda-figure skater you guys are so awesome. Give yourselves a hug or two! Or how about three. Or four, or five... I mean, holy crap guys! 400 hundred reviews! Oh my goodness that's... a lot! Thank you all sososososo much :) I get too excited about things on the internet... But they're reviews! I should stop talking.**

**Thanks for reading, favorite-ing and following!**

**~Leila**

**Also, do yourself a favor go read Zombie Cake by Snowyflakes. It's a very well written, hilarious story. And again, please please PLEASE read How Zelda Got Her Groove Back by ZeldaRubix. ZR is a fantastic author and the plot is amazing. Thank you, and thank you for thanking the people that thank you. Thank you.**

**Thanks MusicGamer!**

* * *

><p>(King Matthew)<p>

Impa tells me to watch my step as we approach an eroding ravine. A war counselor slams his fist on the table and I trip over a root after I stand to calm the counselor down and tell him my thoughts on the draft, then trip over another root because I wasn't paying attention...

This has been my train of thought for the past week and a half or so. Two people's thoughts all meshed into one brain with one person to sort through them all and keep both people running. I have this constant headache, a pounding in my head that is only amplified by the fact that I control two heads. Impa snaps at me again, this time preventing me from running headlong into a tree, as another counselor begins to tell me of his plan for a smaller party to act as a decoy.

I let out a frustrated breath, but I don't allow my _dimidium _in the castle to do the same. I've been making an extra effort to keep my counterpart from mirroring my actions and words after an unfortunate mishap involving a loud swear word in front of an advisor. That took a lot of apologizing.

Compared to the beginning, I've managed to control my two forms a lot better. The two halves of my mind are becoming more independent and I can think two separate thoughts at once, and jump over a creek while walking casually down a castle hallway at the same time. It took a while to get to this point. We stayed at the castle for a couple days so Rauru could coach me on how to separate the halves of my brain from each other and focus on being two separate beings.

The first few days sucked, to put it lightly. I had splitting headaches and would get so exhausted that I wouldn't be able to stand. My head would get confused, and I would forget where one of my selves was and run into things constantly, or just fall to the ground in utter confusion. Now, the headaches have subsided to dull pain with an occasional pulse of sharp agony, the exhaustion doesn't set in until nightfall, and I don't get confused as much. I still run into things all the time because I get too caught up in planning the war and don't focus on the trees right in front of my face.

The overall sensation of it is... complicated. I don't know how to describe the feeling of using one brain to run two people. Maybe a pain in the ass? You feel like you're on constant overdrive, like you've pulled five all-nighters with no coffee then ran a marathon twice after someone knocked you over the head with a brick. It's the most exhausting thing in the world, and all I think about is getting though the day so I can go to sleep and think about nothing and rest my mind for at least five hours. Sleep is all that motivates me now. Both of me.

"We'll rest here. We've walked long enough," Impa's voice cut through one of my trains of thought.

I blinked and glanced around at my surroundings. We were in a small clearing, somewhere still near the ocean judging by the faint sound of crashing waves. It's the last piece of home I think I'll get in a while. As much as I hated being locked in the castle, I loved falling asleep to the ocean. I think every citizen in Castle Town can say the same.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" Impa asked.

"Oh, um, yeah. Thank you," I stammered dumbly. Finding words that sounded intelligent, I spoke again. "I'd prefer if you didn't call me 'Your Majesty', please. Matthew is fine, and it sounds weird. It makes me feel old," I told her.

She nodded, the faintest trace of a smile on her lips. "As you wish. I wouldn't want you to feel old at twenty-three, goddesses forbid."

I laughed a little, then winced as a splitting wave of pain pounded through my head. Impa smiled sympathetically.

"Sit down. Rest a bit. Finish your meeting then put your _dimidium _to bed," she urged.

I nodded and found a comfortable spot reclined against a rotting log. Closing my eyes, I allowed the majority of my thinking consciousness to drift over to my _dimidium_. You can't let all of your consciousness be in one being, or the other will die and the spell will unravel, causing the living being to spontaneously combust.

I was back in the stuffy councilors' room, trying my best to act awake as councilors and so-called "war geniuses" argued about the same things they had been arguing about three hours ago. We finally had a very good battle plan, but now we were stuck arguing on trivial things that a group of little girls could sort through faster than these groups of men can. What the age limit should be for the draft. Should we organize a larger force with all of the Courts of Hyrule. Should females be allowed to fight in this war. It doesn't stop, it just goes on and on and on...

"...this man is obviously a threat! We need as many strong, able people as possible fighting on our sides! We need to rally the Twili, Zora, Kokiri, Sheikah, Gorons, Rito, Deku, and the Gerudo to fight alongside us!" One man was yelling.

"But this man _was _a Gerudo. How do we know we can trust them?" another man countered.

"The Gerudo have been our allies for hundreds of years. There's no need to doubt that alliance now," a calm, rational voice said smoothly.

I cast a small smile at the speaker, the only person I like and trust in this room. My long-time friend, Shad. Many of the councilors scoffed at the thought that a twenty-three year old school teacher would be joining us in the meeting, but Shad is thirty times as brilliant as all of them put together, and my only childhood friend.

"Still," the man huffed. "I say Gerudos can't be trusted. That alliance was never stable anyway."

"If you have any more racial remarks to make, Viscen, you can leave," I said sharply. He grumbled something incomprehensible in reply, then crossed his arms and fell silent. "On the matter of the alliance of the Kingdom and the Courts of Hyrule, I'll summon the Lords of each district to discuss the matter in person tomorrow. I doubt they'll refuse once they hear of the immensity of the opposing force," I said, massaging my aching temples.

The Kingdom of Hyrule rules over the entire land, which is cut into districts by city. These smaller areas are called the Courts of Hyrule and each have a lord to preside over them, such Lord Tree Deku of the Kokiri. I've already sent out word to them of the war, of course, but I need to speak to them all in person. None of them are as dense as the men in this room.

"What about the draft?" another man questioned.

"What about it? If any males that are ages fifteen to fifty-five wish to voluntarily sign up for the armed forces, they may. The draft will apply to men ages seventeen to fifty. No questions asked."

I've had enough of all of this. I want to end it now.

"So this does not include women?" one of the two women councilors inquired.

In every other circumstance, I am all for women's rights. As far as I'm concerned, this isn't even women's rights. It's war. Women can hold high office positions, and even run the country if they are the oldest child in the Royal Family. But in Hyrule, it has always been a custom that men fight on the battlefield. Women often produce the war supplies and help in the hospital tents, but the goddesses decreed that men would fight for Hyrule. It is written in our sacred scrolls, and I'm not up to fighting the goddesses' words as well as the mysterious Gerudo man and his goddessdamned huge army.

"No. It has always been the will of the goddesses that men fought in their name while women defended the homestead. I have no right to change that," I sighed, ignoring her dirty look. Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn right now. I want to go to bed.

"Anything else?" I demanded. Not a word was spoken. "Great. Meeting adjourned. Until tomorrow, men," I said, standing up and stalking out of the heated councilor's room. I'll get yelled at by an advisor for my 'atrocious behavior', but I don't really care.

I guided my _dimidium _to bed, then withdrew the majority of my consciousness back into my other body. Letting out a breath, I opened my eyes and sat up, stretching my sore limbs.

"How are things looking?" Impa asked quietly. I blinked, just now noticing that it was dark out. The stars in the indigo sky twinkled down from above, like diamonds shimmering from their spots in the sky.

I sighed. "Everything is a mess. We finally came up with a strategy, but then everyone had to whine about the draft and women's rights and whether or not we should make a mass treaty with the Courts. And as soon as the Gerudo were brought up, a man had to go on about how we can't trust that race, and I'm sick of it. I just want it to end, Impa," I concluded in a slightly strained voice, sounding like I was close to tears.

"Matthew, look at me." My watering eyes met her strong crimson ones. "You are twenty-three years old, forced into a major leadership position at a young age by unfortunate circumstances. You are now facing a full scale war, and on top of that have to deal with destiny and being split into two beings. Given the situation, you're doing fantastic. Most people would have broken down and fallen to insanity under the pressure," she told me, placing a light hand on my shoulder.

"It still sucks ass. Pardon my language," I muttered.

Impa startled me by letting out a loud, ringing laugh. "I like you, Matthew. You will do this country much good," she promised me, still chuckling. I grinned at her and shifted my position to a more comfortable one and drawing my warm Sheikah cloak closer to my body. The night air was chilly, and we couldn't risk lighting a fire.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Impa turned to look at me. "Hm? Of course. What's on your mind?"

I swallowed. This question has been bothering me for a while. "Well, as you know, my _dimidium _will be going to war. W-what happens if my _dimidium _is killed?" I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper.

Impa sighed and closed her eyes. "If you are wounded, the half you are more concentrated on at the moment will feel more of the pain, though only the being that is wounded will have physical evidence of the wound."

"Yes, but what happens if one of me _dies_!"

"If your _dimidium _is killed, you are instantly killed with twice the pain they felt. You will simply explode and cease to exist."

Biting my lip, I looked away. I figured I'd die. I just didn't want to hear it said aloud.

Impa let out a harsh laugh. "If you think you have it bad, imagine how things were for the Hero of the Four Sword."

"What's the Four Sword?" I asked, glad to be off the topic of my twice-as-probable-as-normal death.

"It's an old legend. I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it. The Four Sword was a sword created by an old warlock who lived at the time adultery was punishable by death. He was a vain and cocky warlock, who thought he was above the law. He was greedy and felt that one wife was not enough to satisfy him, so he married four beautiful girls. As life went on, his lies were getting harder and harder to cover up, so to make his life easier, he forged a sword, lacing a _divido _spell in with the metal. When drawn, the spell split the wielder into four separate beings."

"Oh Nayru! He had _four _minds to control?" I cried, hardly believing the complete idiocy of this guy.

"Oh, yes. Instead of a _dimidium, _he had _tetradeum_. Anyway, he was eventually found out by one of his wives who saw her 'husband' at the market when he was supposedly asleep at home. She followed him to his home and found him with another wife. The warlock was given a trial and convicted, then killed by his own sword. After being used for the execution of its creator, the Four Sword was sealed away. Much later on, a sorcerer named Vaati rose to power and began kidnappig young girls. A young boy took up the Four Sword and sealed Vaati away with it. Years later, Vaati broke the seal and kidnapped the princess of the time. Her childhood friend took up the Four Sword and defeated the wind mage, this time killing him with the sword. The sword was never returned to its pedestal after that. The four boys had spent so much time not being one person, they had become their own people. Replacing the sword would have killed them all. So they all lived out their own lives, and where to sword is to this day, no one knows."

"Wow. At least I can always know that someone had it worse than me! Do you think my _dimidium _and I will become separate people?" I asked. Dear Din I hope not.

"No. Rauru's simple enchantment is nowhere near as powerful as the warlock's spell on the sword. If anything it will wear off in time, but the side effects of that wouldn't be pleasant," Impa told me.

"Good. I don't want two of me. Though that does mean I could sneak out of the castle," I said with a poorly stifled yawn.

"You are tired, Matthew. Rest up, the goddesses know you need all of the sleep you can get," Impa told me sternly.

"But I-" my protests were cut short by a loud crash of snapping twigs and crunching leaves. Impa was immediately on her feet, and I wasn't far behind her. Something was running for our camp, and it was coming fast. Throwing my hood over my face, I drew my sword.

"Stay behind me, Matthew," Impa growled, two Sheikah knives poised for action in her hands.

I nodded and tightened my grip on my sword. What is it? What if I die right now? My existence will simply cease to be, and I'll die painfully, and to my understanding, slowly. Swallowing my fear and pushing those thoughts away, I readied myself for a fight.

Jumping back, I raised my sword as a black shape came crashing into the clearing.

* * *

><p>(3rd peron P.O.V.)<p>

Teagan Umbra shuffled her way down the gray sidewalk, her head down and her eyes red. They still hadn't found him. Not even a trace. Din knows how long they'd been searching for her brother, and they had not the slightest clue as to where he could possibly be. Why? Why did it have to be _her _baby brother? Why not take that disgustingly boogery kid from down the street?

She had come home from college in Termina last month to visit her family on summer break. The first week or so had been great. She woke up at noon and made cinnamon rolls for breakfast for her and Sheik almost every day. Since their parents were gone, they did whatever they want. Beach volleyball, "who could stuff the most marshmallows into their mouth at once" contests, root beer floats at Telma's, video games, popcorn fights, and anything else they could dream up. It was great. She hadn't even realized how much she missed having Sheik's fun personality around until then. But the dream had come to an abrupt halt right there.

One morning, or rather, afternoon, she had woken up, and Sheik wasn't there. There was no sign of her blonde brother anywhere. There was only a note, waiting for her on the island, hastily scrawled in Sheik's sloppy handwriting.

_I don't know where to start. I guess with Mom and Dad. You guys always said Aunt Impa was crazy, and you never liked Tea and I training at her house in the summers, but all those things she said were true. You knew they were, and so did I. I left because it was time. You know where I've gone. Thanks for being the best parents a kid could ask for, and if things go right, I'll see you soon.  
>Teagan... I'm going to miss you. A hell of a lot more than I thought I would. You're the best sister ever. I really mean that. I'm sorry I'm taking your necklace, but I wanted something to remind me of you. I'll get it back to you, I promise.<br>I love you all.  
>Sheik<em>

She had the letter memorized by now. She could recite it backwards and in pig-Latin in her sleep. The letter was crinkled and wet with tear stains in her pocket right now, stuffed in there after her latest visit with the Captain of the Guards_._

Reaching up to grab her necklace, her hand came in contact with air for the umpteenth time since Sheik's disappearance. It had always been a source of comfort to her. She vaguely remembered Aunt Impa giving it to her. She remembered being intrigued with the purple medallion, and Aunt Impa's words: _Never lose this, Teagan. This is special, and this is who you are. Keep it safe._

Sheik had it now, wherever he was. He never even said, he only implied that his parents knew. They hadturned a ghostly shade of white, but they didn't tell her anything. Teagan hated not knowing things. That's why she spent hours reading and studying and why the wrapped gifts under the tree on Giving Day drove her crazy.

_Sheik, where are you?_

She jogged up the front porch steps, taking a few breaths as she did so. She hated being the bearer of bad news for her family. It hurt her to see them like this.

Opening the front door, Teagan instantly knew something was wrong. When she touched the handle, it was ice cold and was pulsating bad feelings. Then, when the door was open, the smell hit her like a giant bowling ball.

Death.

Tentatively, she took a step into the silent house. Her footsteps echoed in the room. Shaking, she entered the kitchen.

"M-mom? Dad?" she called.

No answer.

Venturing slowly towards the laundry room, where her mother had been folding clothes, she called again, this time a little louder. "Mom? Dad? Where are you guys?"

She could hear a dripping sound now, like her mom had left the tap on. "M-mommy? D-daddy?" she stuttered, her voice a whisper now. Every footstep sounded like thunder. She was almost to the laundry room now, the dripping was growing louder.

Teagan entered the laundry room and let out a shriek loud enough to petrify a Redead. Hanging by their toes from the ceiling were her parent's corpses, mutilated beyond recognition and dripping crimson. She screamed and staggered back, away from them as fast as she could. Bile rose fast in her throat, and she threw up her meager lunch of half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

She couldn't un-see their faces, their dead, skeletal faces stripped of skin, left to muscle and blood...

_"Sage..."_

Teagan froze, her heart pounding and knees shaking way faster than what was considered healthy. She strained to hear, hoping and praying she imagined the whisper...

_"Saaage..."_

A whimper escaped her mouth, a sound she immediately regretted as a hideous, bulbous creature oozed out from under the bathroom door crack. It was flesh colored, stained pink from devouring her parents. Hideous veins pulsed beneath its jelly-like skin, and rows upon rows of shark teeth were bared into a feral snarl. A single yellow eye stared down at her ominously.

_"Saage of shaadows," _the blob hissed again. _"Master needs saaage of shaaadows!"_

This was all the traumatized teenager could take. With a shrill shriek, Teagan leapt backwards, away from the advancing blob, and ran straight into the dining room table. The blob slid towards her still, dead bent on... Killing her? Eating her? Both? Teagan didn't care to find out. Groping for the nearest possible object, her hands found an orange in the bowl at the center of the table. She hurled the fruit at the creature with all her might, and if the orange had hit a human, it would have caused some considerable bruising.

However, the orange didn't make so much as a dent on the creatures skin. With a sick squelching noise, the monster sucked the orange into its skin and continued to advance on Teagan. Fighting tears, Teagan threw the remaining fruit and the bowl at the creature with the same results.

_"Sage..."_

Screaming, Teagan stumbled backwards and made a mad sprint for the door. She was so close, only a few more steps... Her sock-wearing feet slid across the smooth wood floor, sending her tumbling to the ground.

_"Sage..."_

Choking on sobs, Teagan struggled, slipped and slided, trying in vain to scramble to her feet. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be! The blob was on her now, enveloping her foot in its gelatinous body. Screaming, Teagan lashed out and kicked at the monster. This didn't deter it at all, and it continued to make its way up her leg. Searching wildly for something, anything, she pulled the chopstick holding her hair up from her head and threw it like a needle towards the eye.

The projectile hit its mark, and the creature retracted from her leg with a loud roar that shook the house and sent her mother's precious china crashing to the ground. Gasping for air, Teagan jumped to her feet and ran out the door, her heart working on overdrive. Turning around, Teagan saw the thing was chasing her, its single eye twisted with rage.

_"SAGE!" _it roared, gaining on her with surprising speed for a creature with no legs. Whimpering, Teagan drew into her last reserves of strength and sprinted faster than she ever had in her life.

She needed to get away. She couldn't end up like her parents. She didn't want to die! She needed to find Sheik!

With a sudden burst of energy, a power she had never felt before hummed through her. Her speed increased immensely, causing the pursuing blob to speed up to match her pace. They were neck and neck now, the blob extending itself towards her to pull her to it. Shrieking, she felt the power increase, and suddenly she felt her legs lifting off the ground, carrying her above the blob. She screamed, flailing wildly in the air. The ground whizzed past beneath her, changing from pavement to sand to woods... Screaming bloody murder, Teagan grabbed for passing branches, trying to stop herself but only managed to tear skin off her hands.

_I need to stop! I need to STOP! _She screamed to herself, to whatever was making her fly like this. Like magic, she stopped flying instantly, and instead began falling. She screamed until her throat was raw, until she was falling through the forest crashing through trees and getting scratched up by branches. _I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead!_

Rolling through the brush on the forest floor, she finally came to a stop in some soft grass. _I can die here, _she thought. _At least I'm away from that monster. I'm sorry Sheik..._

She opened her eyes and saw blades pointing at her throat, a sword and two Sheikah knives. What was intended as a scream, came out a pitiful moan, accompanied by a sob. The weapons withdrew, and Teagan heard a very familiar voice.

"Teagan?"

"A-aunt Impa?" she rasped, her voice barely a scratch.

Her aunt knelt beside her, and next to her was a hooded man. "Oh, Tea, what happened?"

All Teagan could do was sob. She couldn't go home. She couldn't find Sheik. Her parents were dead. She just flew across half of Faron Woods. She was crazy, she was dreaming, she was dead...

The last thing she thought of before falling into unconsciousness was Sheik's smiling face, his blonde hair shining in the sun as he grinned at her through the volleyball net on the beach...

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><p><strong>Not my best, but got out what I wanted. Kind of dark. I freaked myself out writing this! But I loved writing the Four Swords part. Anyway, if you have questions, please ask! But I'm not giving away anything that happened to Zelda. You'll find that out next :)<strong>

**PLEASE REVIEW! I live for reviews! Pleeease! I'm going to beg like a child that wants cotton candy at an amusement park!**

**Anyway... Thanks guys!**

**~Leila**


	29. Chapter 28

**I literally scared the hell out of myself with the last chapter. I'm scared to go into a dark basement by myself. And a reviewer thought that the creature might be a chuchu. I was meaning for it to be more like a Like-Like, but I did just make it up. It might sound like a big Wind Waker chuchu, but I promos it's not! It's a freaky blob creature that actually can be considered a threat! I should be done with my rant. Anyway, we all want Zelda.**

**Thanks to Princess Zelda-figure skater, erico637, StattStatt, DarkOppressor, The Supreme, Farore64, The First of the Nentari, Iranda20, Vermilion Ruby, GlissGirl99, ShadowNinja1011, Not-Alone-Anymore, Katia0203, Rich, anonymous, barrissandahsokafriendz, Jupsi, predatorform, pyrosavvy5, LauParisi, and Sheikagal for reviewing! I love you all in a demented Internet way!**

**~Leila**

**Read The Legend of Zelda: Wisdom Lost First Chapter by The Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and Brother of Mine by Infamously Me. They are two fantastic writers with great stories! And Tenacity by the very talented Kabrex. It's getting so good! And anything by MsBBsue. She is an amazing author. And please please read The Wondrous Adventures of the Righteous Maximus by Split Infinitive. It's amazing. And my friend LauParisi has a fic going, and she'd love it if you reviewed! It's very interesting with Zelink! Check out It was meant to be. And I made a oneshot, maybe I'll continue it, called Missing You. Check out all of these if you can! **

**I don't like this chapter as much. It's just... Ugh. I don't know, you guys tell me. **

**I'm going to start doing all my author's notes at the beginning so I can maintain whatever suspense I may have at the end of a chapter. Alright. Read on.**

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><p>(Zelda)<p>

Golden eyes. The last thing I remember before surrendering to the darkness is a pair of golden eyes looking at me, just like in all of my nightmares. They haunted my flitting dreams now, dancing among the flames of a burning Hyrule, taunting me as my homeland burned.

Pounding pain had accompanied the golden stare. I think I cried out before collapsing, staring up at the orbs of gold. I saw a smirk, too, nearly hidden behind a curtain of blonde hair. She looked so familiar, like someone I should know well...

I winced as remembering became painful. Where was I now? I have been floating in and out of dreams for... Days? Weeks? Months? What happened? Struggling to open my eyelids, my consciousness became aroused. Waking up was a slow process. My eyelids felt like they had been sewn shut with rocks, and I was now aware of a dull, faded pain in the back of my head.

As I pulled further away from the darkness and the dreams of fire, I was becoming more and more aware of the soft pillow and mattress beneath me and the warm blanket covering my body. I could hear crackles and pops of a fire and feel the warmth on my left cheek. Wherever I am, I'm being taken care of. Perhaps I've finally had stroke of good luck and someone on our side has picked me up?

After a few more minutes of lying in limbo, my eyelids fluttered open, and I could finally see my new surroundings. I was in a small, circular stone room with one window and a shut door, and an open archway with stairs leading down. A hearth was lit and blazing in the wall opposite the bed, and a bookshelf was next to the fire. Rubbing my aching head and pulling myself into a sitting position, I could see more out the window. Gray clouds blanketed the sky, and bare hills rolled in the distance. But those were trivial things. What I noted were the stone walls and men in armor pacing back and forth outside beneath me. I am in a castle.

What am I doing in a castle tower? Is it possible that I could be in Hyrule Castle? Did a passing guard find my unconscious by the river in Hyrule Field and bring me back to the Castle? Surely I would have remembered that. What about Link?

Link!

My eyes widened, and I scrambled to throw the covers off my body and stand up. Nausea and dizziness overtook me; I stumbled a little and winced at a pain in my head. Did I hit it on a rock? That's probably what happened. I slipped with the heavy pot of water and hit my head on a rock. A nearby... princess, maybe, found me and has taken me to her castle. Yeah.

What castle?

I furrowed my brow and leaned out the window a bit. The gray sky showed no patches of blue, and the hills were gray and bare of any life. On the surrounding horizons, mountains or cliffs rose from the ground. Where could I be? The wastelands of Ikana? A valley in Snowpeak?

A knock on my door made me jump and jarred me back to the present. A guard wearing full, dark metal armor entered the tower holding a pile of folded clothes.

"Where am I?" I asked, turning away from the window.

He ignored my question and handed me the clothes. "My master has requested your presence at dinner this evening. He requires you clean up and dress in more appropriate clothing before sitting before him."

Then, he promptly turned on his heel to leave. My hand shot out and caught his arm. I need to know where I am!

"Who's your master?" I inquired. "Please, sir, I'm so confused, and I don't know the whereabouts of my friend-"

"Clean up and your questions will be answered," he replied in a slightly annoyed tone. "Now, go. The bathroom is just down those stairs."

With that, he shook my arm away and closed the door.

"Wait!" I cried, grabbing the handle and attempting to pull the door open. I gasped as it resisted. It's locked. I'm locked in a tower. Like a fairytale princess awaiting her prince.

I slumped to the ground, my back against the door. Obviously, this was not a rescue. I am a hostage. How could I be so stupid? I let my guard down, and now they have the Princess of Destiny, playing the damsel in distress once again. Did they get Link, too? Chewing my lip, I pulled myself up again. He wouldn't let them get him. He'd fight them off. And he'll come and rescue me.

Reassured with the thought of Link swooping in to save me like in a storybook, I made my way down the stairs and found myself in a spacious bathroom, with a large tub, a sink, and multiple mirrors. One window lit the room, set directly over the tub. Bath salts, oils, shampoos, and soap all sat on the edge of the tub, and fluffy black towels were folded neatly, along with turquoise silk washcloths.

I turned on the running water, watching the deep tub fill up with steamy water. I'm just now realizing how long it has been since I've had a bath. I probably smell horrible, like death. And Epona.

After the tub was filled to a depth I found satisfactory, I eyed the bath oils. Might as well try a little. I dumped in a little lavender scented bath oil, along with a handful of rose bath salts. Now the water looks silky, pink, and smells like a flower garden.

Peeling off my torn and tattered Sheikah suit, I stepped into the hot water, sighing in relief. The water felt amazing on my dirty skin. Already, dirt and dry blood were coming off in the water, leaving me a shade paler than I thought I was. Hm. I wonder what my actual skin tone is.

Smiling to myself, I dunked my head underwater and shook my matted hair around. I forgot how much I missed the feeling of my hair flowing around me underwater, like a mermaid's. Surfacing, I grabbed a bottle of 'violet and sweet pea' smelling shampoo. I squeezed a generous portion into my palm and began massaging it in my scalp. It's amazing how good a hot bath feels after going on a month long, outdoor killing spree.

That was a morbid way to put it. Frowning, I ducked underwater again to rinse all the suds out of my hair. This whole escapade has turned me a little sadistic. I grabbed the bar of soap and used it to scrub my skin raw. I want every little bit of blood off my skin.

The bath had suddenly lost its good feeling. After I rinsed the soap off my skin, I got out and wrapped myself up in one of the black towels. And I stood and watched the water drain from the bath until every last bit of dirty water was down the drain.

Turning away from the bathtub, I found myself facing a mirror. Looking at me was a skinny, muscular girl with a hollow face and eyes of steel. And covering her body were scars. Long scars, short scars, small scars, big scars. Scars, scars, scars. I took a step back, frightened by the appearance of the mirror girl. Reaching down, I traced a series of three long, thick scars from my belly button to a little beneath my breast. Small, silvery scars, barely visible, adorned my face. A longer one stretched from my ear to my mid-cheek. A few thin ones coiled around my arms. My legs were bare save a thick, small one on my left kneecap.

Stepping back, I turned and bolted up the stairs, wanting to be as far away from the bathtub and the mirrors as possible. Breathing heavily, I leaned against the wall. I'll have those forever. No matter how hard I'll try to forget all of this, as soon as look in a mirror, I'll be reminded all over again. Destiny sure made its mark on me. It branded me with scars.

Taking a few deep breaths, I cast the towel aside and picked up the clothes left for me. I was given a long, plain, short sleeved black dress with black slippers and new undergarments. Everything was perfectly my size. Frowning, I donned the undergarments and slipped the dress over my head. How does my captor know so much about me? Even the little black ballet flats were my size, and I have unusually small feet.

Grabbing the towel and rubbing my hair with it wildly, I sighed. I want Link here. I want to know he's okay. He can get extremely emotionally charged at times. I hope he is okay and does' think I left. What if he's mad at me? Biting my lip, I padded back down the stairs to hang the towel and find a hairbrush.

All the supplies I would ever need, including makeup, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, toothpaste, and hair ties were all lined up on the counter by the sink. They were all the brands I like. Fresh mint toothpaste. Hair ties that match my hair color. Rosy pink lip gloss. What is going on here?

Grabbing the hairbrush, I began to yank it through my long, wet hair. Wincing as it came across snarls, I spent a good ten minutes taming the monster that was my hair. After I was satisfied that not a single tangle was left living in my hair, I drew it up into a high ballet bun, making sure that not a single wisp of hair was out of place, and applied a small amount of mascara.

If I didn't know better, I could have thought that I was back home in my own bathroom, getting ready for gymnastics practice. A full day with Beth and Orielle, listening to Ashei yell about pointing toes, strong finishes and perfecting back handsprings.

Sighing nostalgically, I trudged back up the stairs, back into my cushy little prison. Am I supposed to go out of my room downstairs? Is the guard going to come to retrieve me? Pulling experimentally on the door, I decided it was the second one.

"Well now what?" I spoke aloud, just to hear myself.

My eyes drifted around the room and landed on the bookshelf. Smiling, I walked over to it and began browsing titles. The smile was wiped from my face instantly. Every book on the shelf was a favorite of mine. Hylian history. Creation books. Gerudo fairy tales, Deku legends, dramatic adventures, sappy romances. Not a single title was unfamiliar to me. There were even a few textbooks, all lessons for next year. Backing away from the shelf, I hit the bed with my back.

This is all too creepy. Too isolated. I need out, I need Link, I need help-

The door was thrown open abruptly, causing me to scream and jump at least a foot in the air. The guard eyed me warily, making no notion to apologize for startling me.

"My master will see you now. Follow me," he commanded, turning around and stalking out the way he came, down a staircase.

I obeyed and followed behind him, surprised to see two guards positioned outside my door. My heart sank a little as we traveled down the spiral staircase. There goes any hope I might have had of escape. Damn.

The guard led me through multiple, dark hallways, down a another flight of stairs, and through what looked like a grand ballroom. Across from the ballroom, two large double doors were open, revealing what looked like a Gerudo themed throne room, but I only caught a fleeting glance. Finally, he stopped at a set of black double doors. Knocking once, a voice answered almost immediately.

"Enter."

The doors swung open by themselves, and I found myself in black throne room, illuminated by swirling, glowing turquoise designs on the floor. They reminded me of Midna's tattoos. No one occupied the dark throne, but instead the speaker who the guard called his master sat at the head of a long table that had been set up in front of the throne. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quiet figure out why I recognized him.

Stifling a gasp, I allowed the guard to pull me and shove me in the chair opposite the grinning Twili man.

"Leave us," he commanded, his horrible orange eyes never leaving me.

The guard bowed and immediately exited the room, the doors closing with a boom that echoed throughout the large throne room. The man was still staring at me, a small smile playing on his lips now, almost like he was amused. Snapping his fingers, two Twili servants stepped forward and filled our glasses with red wine. After fulfilling their purpose, they disappeared back into the shadows.

"Zelda Fairchild," the man spoke at last, twirling his wine around in his glass before taking a sip. "What a pleasure to meet you at last. The last time I saw you, you were a little... wrapped up."

My heart stopped. Wrapped up in spider's silk.

"You're the man who killed Link's parents." My voice was flat, almost devoid of any emotion. Another grotesque smile lit up his features.

"As much as I love going by that name, I'd prefer it if you called me Zant, Lord of Darkness," he rasped after another swig of wine.

I frowned and swirled around my own wine before taking a hesitant sip. It was good, probably from volcanic grown grapes in Eldin. "Very well then, _Zant_. Where am I?" I demanded.

"So much fire in a young lady. It is most improper. Address me in a more formal manner, and I might answer your question," he sneered.

Rolling my eyes, I tried again. "My good Lord, might I inquire the location of our current vicinity?" I asked in a breathy, light voice like all the noblewomen.

Chuckling, Zant nodded his head. "Much better. We are in a very isolated valley somewhere in the Snowpeak mountain range, and that my dear is all I will tell you. You were brought here three days ago and have been unconscious until now," he told me.

So we are in Snowpeak. I frowned at my wine then took another small sip. I don't plan on drinking the whole glass. If he thinks he'll be getting me drunk, he has another thought coming. "Hm. This seems to be quite the operation you're running here. Too bad it'll never work."

His eyes narrowed. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Link will stop you," I replied, looking him straight in the eye. "He'll come save me and stop you. He won't stop until he does."

He let out a short bark of laughter. "Link! Don't make me laugh. You pathetic Hero is nowhere near a position to be able to defeat me! He's emotionally compromised, and I hate to break it to you but he hates your guts!"

"He does not! He'll come to rescue me because he cares about me!" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Not after what-" he stopped himself, and glared across the table at me. "Not anymore. You left, and he wants nothing more than to see you dead."

"That isn't true," I countered. "He will come, and he knows that I would do the same for him."

He opened his mouth to shoot me down again, when a loud knock resounded through the room. Zant smiled and turned in his chair to face the door.

"Our other guest for the evening. I believe you two have met. Come in, dearest!" he called.

Glaring at him, I set my wine glass down and turned to see who the newcomer was. The doors opened slowly, and a tall, slim, curvy silhouette entered the throne room. Squinting to try to see facial features, all I could make out were two eyes, glowing like embers.

"Sorry I'm late, Zant. I was preoccupied with other manners," she spoke, allowing Zant to kiss her hand before sitting next to him. That voice... It can't be...

The girl turned to me, and I almost fell out of my chair. Dressed in a revealing black number that displayed swirling turquoise markings all over her body was Midna.

"M-Middie?" I squeaked, not believing my eyes.

She turned to me, a smirk on her face. As she saw me, her face twitched, and something in her eyes changed, but it was gone once again, hidden by contempt. No. It can't be her. It's not her. It can't be.

"Zellie!" she cried with a cruel undertone. "It's just _fantastic _to see you! It's been a while, hasn't it?"

I turned to Zant, fumbling to find words to say. No. Midna wasn't bad, Midna wouldn't assist in kidnapping me, Midna wouldn't... "H-how?" I finally managed, my voice a quiet rasp.

"How? Sorry to break it to you, _Zellie_, but your dear friend joined me out of her own free will. Sorry you lost a friend, but she's my Twilight Princess," he said, turning to smile at Midna, who returned the smile.

It was sick.

"Midna... How... How could you! This is so unlike you! You're not the bad guy! Midna!" I pleaded, looking at her desperately.

"Oh, Zelda. You are so smart, but sometimes you just can't see a threat when its right in front of you. You just couldn't fathom that your _best friend forever_ would turn around and stab you in the back. Welcome to reality, honey!" she snarled.

"I-I..." I stammered before lapsing into silence.

Midna glared at me a moment more before turning back to Zant. "Fire is subdued. We found him today. He's the son of the Goron representative for the Courts of Hyrule," she told him as he nodded in approval.

"Good, good. Three of the Six are acquired, and we know the positions of Light and Earth," Zant said, taking another long drink of his wine. A dribble trickled down his cheek, gleaming like blood.

"What about Shadow?" Midna questioned, motioning for a servant to pour her a glass of the wine.

"I found him the other day. He's a young Sheikah, the little goddess girl's personal escort. I must say, he was stronger than I thought. He's obviously been made aware of his powers. I was healing Light magic burns for days!" Zant exclaimed bitterly, wiping away the wine from his chin with a napkin.

Midna's brow furrowed. "My Lord, are you sure he was the Sage of Shadow?"

"Of course I'm sure! He had the Shadow Medallion!" Zant snapped. "I'm never wrong, Midna. You should know that."

"Yes, sir. I've just never heard of a Shadow Sage possessing Light magic. It's actually quite contradictory."

Their conversation faded from my ears. It didn't make too much sense to me anyway, all the talk of Shadow and Light and some group called "the Six." I stared at Midna blankly, trying to understand what happened to her. She had been acting strange at school. Jumpy, nervous. I always found her staring at me. And someone had to have told Zant about Link's emotional state when his past is brought into conversation.

Maybe it's the tattoos.

I squinted to try to see the swirling turquoise designs better. She had been perfectly fine before them. The same, normal Midna. Then she got these tattoos, and suddenly she's evil...

Something isn't right here. Something isn't right, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.

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><p>Dinner was a silent affair on my part. Midna and Zant talked in hushed voices from the other end of the table, while I picked at my piece of steak. It was too raw for my taste.<p>

I managed to hear bits and pieces of their conversation. More about "the Six", and a little bit about a "kedua putri," which translated to Hylian means "second princess."

Who are these six people, and who is the second princess? Zant referred to Midna as his "Twilight Princess" earlier, perhaps she is this kedua putri? But why would she be talking about herself?"

Promptly after the meal, I was escorted back upstairs to my little prison with promises of meeting for dinner tomorrow night. As soon as I was alone and I was sure the guard had left from the door, I let my hair back down and kicked off the shoes. A white nightgown was waiting for me, folded on the bed, and I shimmied into after discarding the black piece on the floor. The soft material of the white dress was much more comfortable than the tight black dress.

I walked over to the bookshelf and selected a thick book on Hyrule History. Perhaps I can find a few things about this Six and a kedua putri. Flipping through the pages, I stopped as I came across a large heading.

The Six Sages.

The Six Sages were six powerful beings that sealed away the Dark King with the aid of the Princess of Destiny. Each sage held a medallion as a proof of their authority and represented a different power from six elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Light, Shadow, and Spirit.

These must have been the Six Zant and Midna were referring to! But why would Zant be seeking the Six Sages? A thought entered my mind, a thought so terrifying and evil. Heart thudding, I flipped through the book until I arrived at a different page.

The Triforce Realm.

_The goddesses created the Triforce realm so that it was virtually impossible to enter. Even the goddesses themselves could not open the mighty gates to obtain the golden power. Only a mortal can open the doors, if they accomplish four nearly impossible tasks. A mortal would need the three Bearers of the Triforce, a goddess, the Six Sages who bear the pieces to the key, and the oldest member of the Royal family to play a song on the ocarina of time. Only then will the doors open, allowing the person who has succeeded access to an unimaginable power-_

The book fell from my hands and to the floor. I understand now. I understand why they need me and why they bothered to take me hostage instead of killing me on spot. Not for their own amusement, but for their plans to obtain the whole Triforce. Now they're scouring the land for the Six blessed to hold the six pieces of the key to the gate, and they're waiting for Link. I'm not only crucial to their plan, but I serve as bait. Link will walk straight into their trap.

But the goddess... I hurriedly flipped to another page, more towards the beginning of the book.

_The goddess Hylia, in order to save the world she cherished from a ravaging demon known as Demise, abandoned her divine form and transferred her soul to the body of a mortal. She made this sacrifice so that the power created by her sisters could someday be used. For while the supreme power of the Triforce was created by the Three, its power could never be wielded by one. Knowing this power was her last and only hope, Hylia gave up her divine powers and immortal form. _

Hylia must have been aware of what Zant was planning and once again transferred herself to the body of a mortal to obtain the Triforce and stop him before chaos ensued... But this is all working in Zant's favor! Before, Zant wouldn't have had a goddess, and now there's one running around Hyrule! I suppose its better she's trying to stop him, because if Zant hadn't had a goddess at his disposal, he most likely would have attempted to summon a goddess and would have had one delivered right to him.

I rubbed my aching head, trying to sort through my thoughts. We're screwed. This has all been so meticulously planned, down to every last move. We're all like little game pieces on a board, being controlled by either Zant or the goddesses. It's much bigger than I thought it was. Did we ever have any hope to win?

I glanced back out at the dark sky, out at the stars glittering above.

Good luck to you, Link, wherever you are.

It's all down to you now.


	30. Chapter 29

**I'm baaack. Anyway, I'm glad you guys likes the last chapter. And a shout out to my friend who started reading this. When you get to this chapter... Hi. It kind of freaked me out to hear that one of those people I know in person was reading this, but I think I'm okay with it mostly! Haha :) **

**Thank you so much to Rinni Love, Ritaskeeter, Bookworm, Ratchetx7, Rich, The First of the Nentari, Earthen tigris, LauParisi, Sheikagal, NineTails627, StattStatt, Princess Zelda-figure skater, barrissandahsokafriendz, DarkOppressor, Vermilion Ruby, Farore64, GlissGirl99, Katia0203, predatorform, Jupsi, and ShadowNinja1011 for reviewing! I love it, and it makes me so happy to see that you all are enjoying this!**

**And a reviewer told me I forgot the 'Forest Sage' and replaced the 'Spirit Sage' with an 'Earth Sage.' Sorry if I called the Forest Sage the Earth Sage, same difference, and I promise I didn't forget Spirit. But I might have called it the Desert Sage. Again, sorry.**

**Read on, and thank you all! Sorry for a longer update, this was a difficult chapter for me to write, so I hope it turned out alright! It's not my favorite, but I loved writing the two characters I used in it!**

**~Leila**

**Check out Acheronta Movebo by tiger7210, Fragments of Fervor by MsBBsue, and anything by Split Infinitive. They are all fantastic authors!**

**WARNING: I apologize for using the F-word twice in this. Sorry if that offends anyone or makes you uncomfortable.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'll be so happy :) And full credit to Suzanne Collins for the snippet of her song I used.**

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><p>(Link)<p>

Nothing. That's what I felt, that's what I saw. Nothing.

Nothing was interesting about the miles and miles of grass that made up Hyrule Field. I felt nothing about Zelda. I felt nothing about everything. Why would I show emotion? Emotions are a waste of time and only lead to nothing. I should have figured that out a long time ago. Nothing matters.

I snapped the twig I was fiddling with in half, the crack echoing in my ears. Epona snorted behind me, nuzzling my back a bit. I ignored her and continued to glare at the landscape ahead.

Why am I doing this? I have nothing to gain and absolutely nothing to lose. What more could the goddesses take from me? Do they enjoy seeing me like this? I fisted my hands in the grass, pulling angrily at the clumps of earth.

Eldin told me to head north towards Skyloft City, where Hylia's spring and the spirit Ordona reside. I thought it would make more sense to put Ordona in Ordon. There, I have to find two servants of the goddesses to give me a key to get in the last damned temple.

To be honest, I don't want to. I don't want to do anything. I want to sit here and not move and never do anything ever again. I don't want to throw myself into a hellish maze of locked rooms and puzzles with hundreds of monsters thirsty for my blood. I don't want to hear the sick noise of my blade plunging into flesh, I don't want to fell the sharp pain of a blade slicing my skin, I don't want to feel the blood of the enemy splatter my face.

_You just don't want to do it alone, _a voice in my head whispered. _You're scared of failing without her._

Anger surged through my veins. _Her_. She's all I've been thinking about. Her face, contorted with rage. The deadly look in her blue eyes. The way she threw me around like I was a discarded toy. The venom in her voice as she told me she hated me. No matter what that creep Sheldon says, I know it was her. I think I would have known if it wasn't her.

It doesn't matter anyway. I don't need her. I don't like her. And I most certainly don't love her. How could I?

_But you do_, the voice insisted, _You need her, you like her, and you love her. Your emotions cloud your thoughts. Clear your head, think rationally about this._

Who the hell cares about rational? Rational is not a word I use commonly while jumping from burning buildings with an unconscious child in my arms to get away from a group of monsters. My life isn't rational right now. Why would I be rational?

_You feel betrayed. You're hurt and upset. Emotions don't run your life. You do. Sort through your thoughts and your feelings. The world is at stake here._

The world is at stake here. And why do I care? What do I get out of this? Scars? Memories? A pat on the back and a congratulations? A lifetime of therapy? It seems to me I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. If I win, I have to live with it for the rest of my life. The people and things I killed, the things I've seen. If I die and the world falls into darkness, why would it matter to me? I'd be dead and at peace anyway.

_Stop thinking these things! This isn't you, Master Link..._

This isn't me? Who does that voice in my head think they are to claim they know me? Gritting my teeth, I tore at the grass again, pulling up large clots of dirt.

I just want to know _why_. Why did she do it? She was never a "bad guy" or known to get in any trouble at all. She would cry if a teacher so much as hinted that they were slightly displeased with her. What would the Dark King had offered her to get her in league with him? Money? A lifetime supply of 'A pluses'?Or maybe she had been with him all along and I had been to dense to notice.

_Master Link, I don't think you should be so harsh to judge. There are obviously some missing pieces to this puzzle._

"Can you quit with the Master stuff?"

_As you wish, Link._

For the first time, I noticed that I could actually hear the soft, clearly feminine, voice, coming from behind me. This is a literal voice I'm speaking to, not some internal dialect within my head!

"I'm not crazy!"

_Yet._

I scowled, but chose to ignore that. "Who are you? Where are you?" I asked, turning completely around to search for the source of the light, female voice.

_My location isn't relevant. I have been awakened only to motivate you to continue on your mandatory quest._

I groaned and lie back down on the grassy hillside. "Why? What's the point now?"

_What's the point? _She sounded angry now. _The _point _is that the world is at stake. Here you are, wallowing in self-pity, while the whole world prepares for war. If you give up, the world will burn. Innocent men, women and children will be slaughtered. Your friends and family along with them. And you will be here on this hillside, feeling sorry for yourself and looking on as the flames overtake the world._

I shuddered at the severity of her words. So what if she's right? There's still no point in me finishing if I'll probably fail anyway. I'm not smart enough to solve some of these trials. That's what Zelda was good at, and now she's gone.

_Why do you jump to conclusions? Why were you so quick to disregard Sheldon's words? Perhaps he knows something you don't._

"That was Zelda! How could it not be? It looked exactly like her!"

_Appearances can be misleading._

I rolled my eyes and blew a piece of hair out of my eyes. "It was her, okay? Besides, that Sheldon dude looked like a total whacko."

_Again, appearances can be misleading. I wouldn't be so quick to disregard what he had to say. Perhaps that was a clone, perhaps she was under a spell. You need to think outside of the box and see the possibilities. _

I rolled my eyes again and bit my lip to keep from yelling curses at this stupid voice. "Just who are you exactly?"

_What is it to you? Why do you need to know? All you need to know is I am a friend. We have met before, though I highly doubt you remember._

"I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure of meeting a creepy, disembodied voice, sorry," I muttered, twirling the grass through my fingers, imagining it was Zelda, snapping in half as I pulled-

_Stop that this instant! I will not allow you to think such things of the Princess of Destiny, regardless of what you feel!_

"Why not? She can't hear me, that little bitch- OW!" I cried out. Something metal struck me across the back of my head. I turned around, hand on my sword, to see who had dared throw something at me, but no one was there.

_That was me, you incompetent bumble. I will not allow you to speak of anyone in that way._

"Hmph. That hurt," I complained, rubbing the back of my head.

_It was supposed to. Now, I suggest that you begin the ride to Skyloft City to catch up to Aryll as Eldin told you to do before you decided to mutilate this poor hillside. _

I looked at the ragged patches of mud where I had ripped up the grass. Sighing, I pulled myself to my feet. "Fine. I'll do it because I want to, not because you tell me to."

_You should really be an actor. Your bratty child impersonation is amazing._

"Shut up. You're really beginning to come off as a jackass," I snapped as I swung myself onto Epona.

_Hm, I always thought of it more as motivating, or encouraging._

"You should work on that," I said, spurring Epona into a steady gallop.

The wind on my face felt nice as we rode through Hyrule Field. I suppose the jackass is right, there's no point in me wasting away on that hill. I don't need to worry about Zelda. She chose what she chose, but when I see her again, hell will be raised.

Smirking to myself, I urged Epona a little faster. Skyloft City was the most northern part of Hyrule not counting Snowpeak. Citizens there see Hylia as their patron goddess, as the legends state she lived on an island in the sky called Skyloft, incarnated as a human.

_During the war with the deity Demise, Hylia rounded up the remaining humans onto a patch of land and raised it into t he sky to preserve the race. After many years, the Hero of the Sky reunited sky with land, and humans began thriving on earth._

"You seem to be pretty knowledgeable on this stuff," I noted as I steered Epona away from an eroding ravine.

_You could say I have firsthand sources, _the voice replied after a moment of hesitation.

"What do you mean? Where you there?" I inquired.

The voice was silent. Hm. Fine then. She was annoying anyway.

I continued to ride in silence, fuming as the miles past. Wild fantasies and visions of Zelda waking up from some evil spell and falling into my arms danced through my head. Like that'll happen. I still heard nothing else from the mysterious voice, causing me to wonder if I had heard it at all. Maybe I am crazy.

The sky began to fade into an orange, and the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky. I knew I wasn't going to sleep anyway, so might as well keep riding. Epona and I had made considerable progress, we had been passing several outer-settlements of Skyloft City; one town where all the buildings were a different rainbow color, one town hidden in a grove of bamboo, and one town so small that the main attraction was a restaurant called the Lumpy Pumpkin. I would have stopped to eat, but the name sounded so repulsive I decided to spare myself and eat whatever was left in my bag.

As Epona rode, I took a hand off the reigns and stuck it into my pocket. My fingers first came in contact with my mother's necklace, then grasped what I had been looking for. I pulled out Zelda's necklace and examined it in the moonlight. The Goron ruby had burst open to reveal Eldin, leaving the necklace rather bare. There was still a Gerudo bead, a tiny Terminian clock, a carved leaf from Ordon, half of a best friend's necklace, a Triforce, and the blue moon I had given her for her birthday.

I rubbed my finger over it absently, tracing the crescent with my thumb. Maybe that should have been my first clue. All of the Light spirits had been trapped in her necklace and she somehow "didn't know." Stuffing the necklace back into my pocket, I pulled out my own crescent moon dangling off a chain around my neck. Insomniacs Club. All of that seems so distant now, like it happened a lifetime ago-

Epona stopped abruptly and reared up, causing my to yell and almost fall off the horse. Pulling themselves out of the ground and fixating glowing eyes on me were several giant skeletons, wielding scythes, axes and cleavers in their multiple arms.

For a moment, I was silent, staring them down as they hobbled towards me.

Then, I exploded.

"Fuck!" I yelled, grabbing my sword and leaping off Epona. "Fuck!"

That was the only word I could think of at the moment. Something snapped in me when I saw those skeletons ready to attack, something like a dam broke and I was flooded with anger. My vision was a red haze as I slashed and stabbed at the skeletons, not caring what I hit or if I damaged them

_Link, this is not a healthy way to channel your anger!_

Sure, now she's back! I barely comprehended her voice, I was too intent on destroying whatever came near me. Cracks of bones and clangs of metal on metal rang through the field. I felt a pressure in my back, near my stomach, and I whirled around to see a new set of three skeletons, one grinning as it withdrew a blade. With a growl, I threw myself at them.

A stab for Aryll! A skeleton collapsed. This kick for those innocent villagers in Ikana! The ribcage of another shattered. A slice for my parents! A head was sent flying from a skeleton's neck. A flurry of blows for what Zelda did to me! I continually struck at one skeleton until it was nothing but dust and fallen weapons.

More kept coming, spawning from the depths of the earth, but I didn't care. I just wanted them all dead for what they'd done to me. Rage flooded through me, clouding my thoughts and overpowering whatever rational part of me was still alive. The skeletons kept coming, kept advancing, and I hacked through them all in my haze of anger.

Blood spilled from a cut in my face, tasting coppery in my mouth. I locked eyes with the last remaining skeleton, its golden eyes boring into mine. It almost looked a little... Afraid. I struck anyway, right in the gap between all its weapons, cracking its spinal chord and causing it to jump back. Does it fear me? I delivered a finishing blow, send the monster down to collapse in a heap next to its brethren.

Breathing hard, I surveyed the scene around me. Bones lay everywhere. I stood in the center of the heaps and piles of bones. Skulls gazed up at me, a fearful expression frozen on their faces. Did I do this? My rage-fueled adrenaline was fading fast, and I was becoming aware of a pain in my stomach.

Did they see me as the monster? I slaughtered their friends, maybe their family, without a second thought. Did they feel? Did they feel every bite of my blade, every bone I broke? Maybe I'm the monster here. A cold-hearted killer, naive to feelings around me. I turned slowly in a circle, drinking in the somber scene around me, my hand pressed to my throbbing stomach. Each skull was forever frozen in horror.

I am a monster. I have no heart, no feeling...

Pulling my hand away from my stomach, I vaguely noted a slick crimson substance coating it. Sinking to my knees, the last thing I saw before it all went black was a blue flash and a pair of blue eyes looking down at me.

I am a monster.

_Hold on, Master, I'm sending for help now. Just try to stay awake. Stay awake. Stay... awake..._

* * *

><p><em>Flames. Flames were everywhere, burning everything in their path, reducing them to ashes. A young blonde girl clothed in blue ran stood in the thick of the blaze, sobbing as she tried to pull a young boy in white away from the inferno. He refused to budge, causing her to scream with hysteria.<em>

_ A young woman ran through the fire calling a name over and over, the flames parting around her as she ran. A golden aura blazed around her, and she was clothed in a white dress._

_ She came to the white girl and grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away from the growing fire. The girl kicked and screamed, refusing to be separated from the boy, who still stood unmoving among the flames._

_"Leave him, Fi! He made his choice, there is nothing you can do!" the woman yelled over the road of the flames. The girl, Fi, ceased her kicking and screaming and allowed herself to be carried away. As she was carried farther and farther away, her eyes locked with the violet ones of the white boy burning in the flames._

* * *

><p>"He's burning up with fever..."<p>

"Do you think he'll make it?"

There was a pause.

"I think it all depends on him. If he is strong enough, he will pull through."

"We better hope so. The world depends on this boy, it would be a real pity to lose him like this..."

* * *

><p><em>I ran through a dark tunnel, desperately trying to reach the light at the end. Hands reached and grabbed for me, tearing my clothes, causing me to fall. Every time I fell, a second me would lend a hand, pulling me up and sending me on my way. <em>

_A girl appeared and began running beside me, her blue and purple cloak alight with flames. She looked at me, her blue eyes full of an emotion I couldn't decipher._

_"_Hold on, Master, I'm sending for help now. Just try to stay awake. Stay awake. Stay... awake..." she called, reaching for me as we were pulled farther and farther away. __

__She faded, and I kept running. The light was near now, growing closer than ever. Aryll was running with me now, strumming the Ballad of the Goddess on her harp. The notes echoed all around the darkness, creating an eerie effect. She didn't say anything but her presence was enough for me. I ran faster than ever, renewed by the fact that she was there.__

__She still didn't speak, but she began to gradually fade away. I yelled and reached for her, but my fingers met nothing. She was gone. The harp continued to echo.__

__The light was near now, and I could make out a figure standing in the middle of the glorious light. It was Zelda, clothed in a pink dress and wearing a tiara. Her hair was perfectly done, and she turned and smiled as I approached.__

__She seemed to glide over to me, cupping my face in a hand.__

__"Link..." she whispered.__

__Then she drove a blade straight through my heart, her expression menacing and her eyes a feral gold. Her beautiful blonde hair became stained crimson with my blood. She kneeled over my fallen body, singing sweetly as I died, but a sinister smile still plastered on her face.__

__"Deep in the meadow, under the willow. A bed of grass, a soft green pillow..."__

* * *

><p>My eyes snapped open, and I gasped at the bright light that greeted them. I shut my eyes, waiting for the darkness to take me again, but the relief never came. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes again, only this time slowly.<p>

I lying on a soft mattress, blanketed by a patchwork quilt woven from Gerudo fabrics. I appeared to be in some sort of living room, judging by the worn green couch and the rocking chair. A small black kitten dozed near a blazing fireplace, a tangled ball of yarn from a nearby sewing basket laying to its left. Soft chatting could be heard from another room, as well as the creak of wooden floorboards. A heavenly smell filled my nostrils, drifting from an unidentifiable source.

Attempting to sit up, a sharp pain raced up my stomach, causing me to fall back down. I pulled the quilt back to find myself shirtless. A bloody bandage covered a wound on my stomach. When did I get that?

Suddenly, the events of the fight came rushing back to my, and I felt sick to my stomach. I killed all of them. Every single one, maybe even children. I am a disgusting sick, person, why am I alive-

I threw the quilt back and sat up, ignoring the screaming pain in my stomach. With much effort, I stood up, wincing whenever I moved. Every step sent fire racing through my stomach.

After a painful twenty steps or so, I found myself in a cheerful yellow kitchen. Red gingham curtains were drawn back, allowing sunshine to stream through from multiple windows. Strange plants grew on the windowsills, each labeled with precise handwriting.

An old Gerudo woman bustled around, pulling out pots and pans. Her fiery red hair was threaded with gray and was pulled up into a high bun.

"You should be resting in bed, you naughty boy," she spoke without turning around, causing me to jump. "We wouldn't want your wound splitting back open, would we?"

She turned around to face me, her golden eyes kind.

"I- how did you know I was up?" I stammered.

She chuckled. "Boy, you were making enough noise for fifty elephants. How could I not know you were up?"

I sighed at her rhetorical question and looked around. "How did I get here?"

"My sister and I heard a distress call from Hylia's Maiden and came to fetch you. You were a bloody, unconscious mess when we found you," she chuckled, turning back around to dig through a messy pantry.

I frowned. "Hylia's Maiden?"

"Yes, dear. The spirit of Hylia's treasured servant who resides in your sword. If she hadn't called for us, you would have died," the woman told me.

So _that's _where the voice is coming from. I'm not crazy! "How long was I out?" I asked.

"Oh... I'd say three days. You've been flitting in and out of a fever, and yesterday it didn't look good. No, not good at all," she murmured, pouring something into a glass. "Drink this. I'm sorry to say, we were out of red potion so Kotake made some using the s_anitatem _we found in your bag."

I shrugged and wrinkled my nose at the scent wafting from the glass. Damn strawberries. "That's fine," I responded before throwing my head back and downing the disgusting medicine. "I wouldn't have used it for anything better." I had actually forgotten the healing fruit was there. I'm surprised it didn't rot. Or maybe it did. It wouldn't taste any different anyway.

She smiled and gestured at the small table in the breakfast nook. "Please, sit, make yourself at home. I have cookies in the oven, and those should be done in a few minutes. I imagine you're hungry."

Nodding, I pulled out a chair and sat. That explains the amazing smell. She's baking cookies. Warm, delicious, gooey chocolate chip cookies. My stomach growled just thinking about them. She chuckled and pulled out a chair across from me.

She took a moment to study me, her blazing eyes looking me up and down. Then she sighed and folded her hands on her lap.

"So you're the new one. This generation's Hero. You all have the same face," she said as she looked at the floor. I felt a surge of indignation. I'm being compared to the other damn Heroes again. I'm my own person!

"My name is-"

"Link, yes, they all are," she sighed. My eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?"

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry! I never introduced myself, did I? Being alive for a thousand years takes a toll on your memory! My name is Koume," she told me, smiling warmly.

I didn't respond for a moment, I only stared at her with my mouth slightly open. "You're one thousand years old?" She nodded. "You don't look a day over ninety!" I squeaked before I could help myself. Luckily, she threw her head back and laughed. I smiled weakly.

"I like you, boy. I like you a lot," she said as a high-pitched ding sounded. "Oh! There are the cookies!"

She leapt up with surprising agility for one of her age and opened the oven. I opened my mouth to remind her she wasn't wearing oven mitts, but she plunged her hands into the oven anyway, pulling out the steaming sheet of cookies.

"You-you..." I stuttered, trying to find the words. She smiled at me as she got a plate and a glass out.

"I'm a witch of sorts. I possess fire magic, therefore allowing me to reach into an oven unprotected," she explained, arranging the cookies on the plate then opening the refrigerator and pulling out a carton of milk.

She sat down again, setting the plate of cookies and the milk in front of me. I happily helped myself, wolfing down the delicious baked goods. They were perfect, almost exactly like my mom used to make them.

"Do you know a lot about magic?" I asked through my mouthful of cookie.

"I do."

"What about the Triforce? How do you use it?" I questioned.

She closed her eyes in thought. "Well, all magic is draws from an element, or something natural. Fire, ice, light, earth, and so forth. The Triforce, however, draws from energy itself. It draws from all magic and all elements, allowing the user control over almost all magic. You can do practically anything without limits, but how you do that I do not know. You'll have to figure that part out for yourself," she told me.

"Well," I said, taking a pause to swallow a gulp of milk, "I've been able to reach out to it. But I guess I've only been skimming the surface. I can make myself glow, but that's about it."

Her eyes twinkled. "We all have to start somewhere."

I grinned and was about to reply, when some bangs from outside and a muffled voice drew my attention. The back door flew open, revealing a woman almost identical to Koume. They were the exact same height and had matching facial structures, but this woman's eyes were a piercing blue and her hair was a bluish white.

"Damn kids messing around in my garden! They were pulling up my carrots, Koume, my_ carrots_! You can't pull up carrots in-" she stopped her rant as she saw me. "Ah! I see our guest is awake! How are you feeling, dearie?

"Um, fine! My stomach was hurting a little but the potions is helping," I replied dumbly as the new lady set a basket of garden vegetables on the counter.

"That's good, very good. She gave you the fresh red potion, right? She always seems to give out the spoiled ones, and then they don't work," she told me.

"Because you don't label the expiration dates!" Koume snapped.

"Like it's that hard to tell a bad red potion from a good one!" the other lady shot back, placing her hands on her hips.

"Are you two sisters or something?" I asked, cutting off Koume's reply.

They both turned to look at me, and the new lady cracked a smile. "Not too hard to notice. I'm Kotake, Koume's sister," she said, offering me her hand, which I shook.

Kotake sank into a chair next to Koume, and I sat back down and picked up another cookie, nibbling on it as I spoke. "Who are you? You knew I was the Hero, you heard a distress call from Hylia's Maid or whatever, and you're witches."

The sister's glanced at each other, then sighed simultaneously.

"We are two servants of the goddess, the two that hold the key to Hylia's temple, as I'm sure Eldin told you," Koume told me, eyeing my empty milk glass and standing up to refill it.

"Our past is a rough one. Our grandmothers were surrogate mothers to the Dark King, and they raised him to be what he is. Our mothers assisted the Dark King in his plan to destroy Hyrule by obtaining the Triforce when the Hero of Time drew the Master Sword. When we were born, the goddesses wanted to kill us to prevent us from causing the same troubles our ancestors did. But Hylia took pity and instead had us taken to Termina, in exchange for our loyalty," Kotake told me.

"We found work as potion brewers, and even met the Hero of Time when he once stopped in our shop," Koume reminisced. "Many, many years later, Hylia called on us to return to Hyrule and live here. She gave us the key to her temple to guard and told us to wait for the Hero."

"And here we are!" Kotake chirped, grabbing a cookie from the plate and biting into it eagerly.

"Here we are," Koume echoed quietly, looking back down at her hands.

It was silent for a moment, until Kotake gagged and spit her cookie back out on the table.

"Bleh! You put way too much brown sugar in these!"

* * *

><p>After a delicious dinner of steak and vegetable stew, I helped Koume do the dishes as Kotake tended her plants on the windowsill. I found out that Kotake was the actual potion brewer, whereas Koume preferred to cook, bake and knit. The two sisters are hilarious with their constant bickering. I found myself very entertained at dinner when they were arguing over the amount of potatoes in their stew.<p>

"There, the last dish," Koume said, placing the dry plate in the cupboard and shutting the door. Kotake was still puttering around her plants, humming to herself quietly.

"Now, young man, it's off to bed with you. You have a big day tomorrow," Koume reminded me, pushing me towards the living room where my bed was set up.

"It's not that late!" I protested.

"You don't get to sleep often! I said bedtime," Koume repeated sternly.

"I don't sleep well," I argued weakly.

Koume cackled. "Quit the lame excuses, boy, they're hurting my ears. Now, lie down!" she commanded.

I rolled my eyes and fell into the mattress. Koume pointed a finger at the unlit fireplace, and a blaze instantly roared to life. Kotake entered the living room with the small black kitten I had seen earlier and was stroking it quietly.

I settled in deeper in the quilt trying to find a comfy spot, but to my surprise, Koume kneeled down and tucked me in like my dad used to. After she finished snugging the covers around me, she went and settled into a rocking chair next to Kotake's.

"Now go to sleep," Kotake instructed gently.

"I'm not tired," I insisted, stretching my arms.

"Then we'll bore you to sleep. We'll talk nonstop!" Kotake threatened lightly.

"Hit me with your best shot!" I challenged.

They chuckled quietly. It was silent for a moment, and all that could be heard was the crackle and pop of the fire burning the wood.

"You need to sleep. Would... would you mind if we sang to you?" Kotake asked.

"We never had children of our own... We were never allowed to," Koume whispered as she picked up a ball of yarn and some knitting needles.

I nodded, swallowing a lump in my throat. I haven't been tucked in and sang to sleep in eleven years. "Sure. Please sing."

Kotake smiled brightly and cleared her throat. She began to sing in Gerdian, her voice a worn alto. Koume soon joined in, her voice matching in perfect harmony. The knitting needles and the crackling of the fire seemed to add to the beauty of the foreign song.

My eyelids began to droop, my yawns becoming more frequent. Their song continued to wash over me, and I drank it all in, occasionally humming my own harmonies.

I wasn't aware of much when the song had ended. My eyes were closed, and the final notes were still echoing in my head. I head the creak of Koume's rocking chair and a soft mew as Kotake set down the kitten. Floorboards creaked, and I heard a whisper.

"Goodnight Hero. May the goddesses watch over you tomorrow," Koume whispered. I felt a hand smooth my hair, the stroking rhythmic, like my mom used to do.

"We won't be here to see you off, but we put extra potions in your bag, and a bag of Koume's cookies. The key to the temple is in the front pocket of your backpack. And I washed your tunic so it's nice and clean," Kotake murmured.

"You put the legendary Hero's tunic in the washing machine?!" Koume cried, her voice shrill.

"Shh! You'll wake him up!"

I heard a sigh, and the hand withdrew from my head. I wanted to call out and tell Koume to stay, but I was caught in sleep's clutches.

"We wish you luck, Link. When all of this is over... Come... come see us again. May Hylia guide you."

* * *

><p><em>Master.<em>

My eyelids fluttered at the noise, but I didn't stir. I clung to the threads of my dream, my dream where I was with Aryll and my parents on Outset, laughing and having fun on the beach.

_Master Link._

The dream began to fade, my parents and the beach falling out of my grasp...

_Link! Wake up!_

I opened my eyes, and immediately regretted doing so. Sleep was so nice and warm, and my dream... It was a pleasant dream. For once in my life, I had a good dream. Groaning, I struggled to pull myself to a sitting position. My stomach no longer hurt due to all of the potions Koume and Kotake forced down my throat yesterday.

_Good morning, sunshine. Time to get up and save the world._

"Shut up," I grumbled, grabbing my tunic, which was folded nicely next to my bag. I fumbled to yank on my undershirt and slid into my chain mail before pulling the tunic over my head and tying my gauntlets onto my hands.

Grabbing my sword, shield, and bag, I exited the living room. The kitchen was full of sun, enhancing the cheery yellow walls. It seemed rather empty, though, without the quarreling sisters.

Making my way to the backdoor, I froze when I saw a big plate of pancakes, still warm, waiting on the table for me. A smile crept onto my face, and I slid into the chair, grabbing the fork as I did.

The pancakes were great. Almost like Lulu's. I made sure to clear the dishes, and I dug around for a while until I found a pen and paper.

_Dear Koume and Kotake,  
><em>_Thank you so much for everything. I promise to visit.  
>Link<em>

And with that, I was out the door and on the streets of... Where was I? I glanced around at the multicolored cobblestone streets, noting a weird, neon green bulbous fruit that grew on bushes on almost every street corner. Bird calls echoed all around, and I saw no people or bikes or anything.

_You're in Skyloft City. The prime method of transportation here is the Loftwing, a large, flying bird, trained to carry human riders and obey one human. _

"Really? I don't see any giant birds," I noted, looking all around.

_Because they're flying. Birds tend to fly. Now, I suggest you start looking for Hylia's temple. I would check on the far outskirts of town, seeing as no previous temple was located in the thick of a city._

"Din's was," I pointed out.

_It was in a volcano._

"A volcano that was in the center of a city!"

I did as Hylia's Maid instructed and walked off the main road and cut through some backyards. I soon found myself in a forest, surrounded by towering trees. A lot of electric blue butterflies fluttered about, chasing each other around trees, or sometimes gathering collectively around a certain spot.

"Alright, I'm officially lost, so now what? Where's the temple?" I demanded of the voice.

_Think about where you are and who's temple you're searching for. What was a past significant landmark of Skyloft?  
><em>

I furrowed my brow. "Is this a history question? I never paid attention! This was Zelda's forte, not mine! I'm Mr. Brave Man, not Mr. Smart Guy!"

_Obviously._

I frowned at that, but didn't reply. I was racking my brain for something, _anything_, about Skyloft City. They ride birds. It supposedly used to be in the sky. There are two windmills, a Light Tower, and..

"Well, one time I saw this treasure hunter show on T.V about two guys looking for this lost Hylia statue that apparently used to hold the Triforce," I suggested.

_Yes, the Goddess Statue. That is also the first dwelling place of the Master Sword, though it was called the Goddess Sword then. I know of the whereabouts of the Goddess Statue, do you wish for me to guide you there?_

"Well, yeah, I need to go there to find Aryll. Lead the way," I said.

_Follow the light._

As she spoke, a ball of blue light appeared in front of me, dancing and flickering before beginning to move at a very fast pace. I jogged behind it, making sure I never fell behind. Track came in handy for something. _  
><em>

The light bobbed and weaved in a complicated path between trees. Sometimes we went in complete circles. I tromped through mud, down ditches, over rickety bridges, through a creek, and even through a cave. The light began to slow as we approached a large clearing. It came to a halt a a tree with a heart carved into the trunk. The initials _L _and _Z _were scratched in the center. I frowned, and the light faded.

_Touch the mark you see here with the Triforce, _she commanded.

"What is this?"

There was a pause. _Two people I used to know made this. A long time ago. Now, please touch your marked hand to the inscription so that the Goddess Statue might be revealed._

I rolled my eyes at the voice's cryptic ways and slapped my hand on the heart, covering up the _Z_. At first, nothing happened, and then the air in the clearing began to waver and shimmer, bending and twisting. A shape began to come into view, and a paved path appeared, leading up to a massive statue of a woman. There was an opening at the base, lit with torches.

Not needing to know what to do, I walked over to the statue and entered the chamber. It was dimly lit inside, and it was relatively empty. An empty pedestal was in the center, and behind that was a stone map above a winged crest. I waited for some sort of explanation from the voice, but she was oddly silent. I journeyed further into the chamber, when I heard a rumbling. I whipped my sword out and looked around, but saw nothing threatening.

Just the back wall that opened to reveal a staircase, leading up for the time.

"Do I go up?"

_What else are you supposed to do with stairs?_

Sighing, I took a few steps towards the stairs, only to be stopped by her voice.

_Be careful, Master._

And with that, I entered the final temple, where, hopefully, Aryll would be waiting for me at the end._  
><em>


	31. Chapter 30

**Hey there! So school started on Tuesday, so my updates will be less frequent but I'll still be working on them as much as I can! **

**Thanks to StattStatt, Danni, Katia0203, nakashima0518, LoveMadness, Kamil the Awesome, Rinni Love, DarkOppressor, Beachshowlover1, bookgirl0, Farore64, Guest, LauParisi, Stripesdatiger, ShadowNinja1011, Not-Alone-Anymore, Vermilion Ruby, and The First of the Nentari for reviewing! That seriously means so much! And thanks to Allie for commenting ;)**

**PLEASE check out Fickle Things and Fate by Trinkets for Tall Tales, it is amazing. **

**Anywho, thanks guys! And starting now, I'll be flashing to random points of view of townspeople in Castle Town to see how the war is going. I'm excited about these mini-storylines, so tell me what you think! Review please, and I hope you like it! And sorry if the draft is a little unofficial, its how it needed to be to make some of my ideas work.**

**~Leila**

**And just wondering, and please give your opinion, do you guys want a happy ending with romance and not too many important character deaths? Because I have many degrees of happy and sad endings right now. There's a tragic ending, a sad anding, a happy but kind of sad ending, and a happy ending. Tell me what you want!**

**Oh, and I say French doors in this, simply because that is the style of door and not because the country France exists in their little world.**

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><p>(Third person P.O.V)<p>

_By order of King Matthew Daphnes Link Nohansen Hyrule, all males ranging from ages seventeen to fifty must enter their name in the draft for the Royal Army of Hyrule. A compensation of three hundred Rupees will be given to all citizens from ages seventeen to twenty to thank them for doing the right thing despite their young age. Refusing to sign up for the draft is punishable by law. Male citizens from ages fifteen to fifty-five may voluntarily enter their names in the draft, but it is not required and volunteers will receive no reward. By decree of the goddesses, no females shall fight for Hyrule. Doing so is highly punishable by the law and the goddesses._

Tetra stared at the large sign posted on the wall of her favorite cafe. There were many others just like it posted around town, but she found herself staring at this one in particular for long periods of time. War. War was coming to their city.

Not like it was a surprise. A man waltzed his way into the Castle, threatened the King, admitted to murdering the Royal Family, told the King the youngest princess was still alive, then murdered Roy's dad and disappeared.

She just couldn't grasp such a deep thought at her age. It was hard enough to comfort her boyfriend at the funeral of his murdered father. That was the first time she had ever seen him cry. He had already told her that he was voluntarily signing up for the army to fight for his father. He had talked to the King and guaranteed himself a spot on the Army of Hyrule. Apparently he used to play with the King while his father was in Advisor meetings.

The thought of her Roy fighting in a war absolutely terrified her. The thought of war in general terrified her. And it didn't seem real. Her friends certainly made enough jokes about it. They saw the whole thing as a game.

But she knew war wasn't something to joke about. Games were for children. Checkers was a game. Hide and seek was a game. War was not a game.

"So what do you think, Tet?" Ilia's high voice cut through her somber thoughts, bringing her back to the present.

They were all huddled by the cafe, avoiding the crowds of people going to enroll in the draft. She supposed they were having a meeting of sorts. A meeting that proposed the dumbest idea she had ever heard of in her life: Signing up for the draft posing as boys to get the three hundred Rupee compensation money.

She looked at the faces around her. Ilia, Ruto and Medli were all for pretending to be men for money, and a few boys from their class also wanted to sign up for the money. Agitha was trying to sway them out of it, and Roy was leaning against the wall, not saying a word. He had grown a lot more serious after his father's death, and Tetra often found herself worrying for him. She missed the redheaded goofball he used to be.

"I don't know. Don't you think it's a little risky? What if we were chosen?" she asked, closing her eyes and wishing she was anywhere but here.

Everything had just been chaos lately. First, Zelda and Link went MIA, and Midna went missing right after. Soon after that, Sheik was gone. Occasionally, she passed the Guardhouse and saw the posters with their smiling faces on them, underneath the headline "Missing Children." And just three days ago, they discovered that Saria has also been kidnapped from her family's house in Kokiri. And while she was thinking about it, she hadn't heard anything from Nabooru all summer either. She just wants to be away from all of this. She wanted to be out on the ocean and just sail away from her problems.

"Exactly! What if you were chosen to go to war? You _have_ to go if you're chosen, and if you don't go you'll be thrown in the dungeons. And if they discover you're a girl, you'll get _worse_ than the dungeons!" Agitha cried, desperately hoping to change their minds.

Ruto dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "The chances of any of us getting chosen is one in a million. There are a lot of other people getting drafted. Besides, think about it. Three _hundred_ Rupees. That's a ton of free money for just writing a fake name on a piece of paper and giving it to the Captain of the Guards," she pressed.

Agitha bit her lip and looked away. "It's more than just writing your name on paper, Ruto. You're giving your life away," she said quietly.

There was a silence, but it only lasted for a few seconds. Words couldn't persuade them to give up three hundred Rupees. Ilia rolled her green eyes and looked away from Agitha.

"Quit being so melodramatic. We're going to sign up right now, whether you're coming or not. What about you Tetra? Are you going to be a prick like Agitha? Are you too much of a pussy to write a fake name down? What are you scared of, getting picked?" she sneered.

Indignation flared within her and she shook her head and spoke before she could stop the words. "I am _not _a pussy. Of course I'll write my name down. I'm not scared of anything."

Ilia smiled and nodded. "I knew you'd say that. I'm glad _you're _not being a prissy baby," she said with a pointed glare at Agitha, who was looking at Tetra sadly. "Now come on, let's get some guy clothes and baseball caps and enter our names."

She allowed Ilia to pull her away, and looking back she saw Agitha start crying. Locking eyes with Roy, he shook his head ever so slightly before looking away and turning to comfort Agitha.

A half hour later, she was clothed in a baggy sweatshirt and basketball shorts. Her face was clean of all makeup and her hair was tucked up in a red baseball cap. Shuffling behind the group of her friends, she looked down at the small piece of paper clutched in her hands.

Written in her messy script was her address, age, and the name _Tetris Windfall_. Biting her lip, she looked back up, not wanting to back out and be teased by Ilia or hear Ruto and Medli's mean comments. She could do this. It wasn't like they'd pick her.

As they approached the Guardhouse, her heartbeat quickened. What if they were caught? What if they were thrown in the dungeons? They'd see right through their disguises! She wasn't that masculine!

"Drop that in here, please," a guard said, referring to the paper she held.

She stared up at him like a deer in headlights before comprehending what he said and nodding. "Oh! Yeah, right. Here."

And she let the paper fall into the large bin with hundreds of other names, watching the scrap of paper drift to rest with all of the other white scraps of paper that blanketed the bottom of the container like a snowfall. The Rupee compensation would come later in the mail, along with a letter. A letter that would decide her life, either telling her she was summoned to the army or thanking her for her patronage.

She stared at her name until she was shoved forward by the person behind her in line. Jolting back to reality, she jogged to catch up to her other friends, leaving the paper with Tetris' name on it to be buried by the names of the hundreds of other potential draftees.

* * *

><p>(Zelda)<p>

_A smile spread across her face, and flinging her arms around the neck of her hero, she whispered in his ear, "I love you."  
><em>_Smiling into her neck, and twirling a lock of her hair around his finger, he murmured back, "I love you too. Let's go home."  
>Hand in hand, the reunited lovers left the bloody battle scene and walked back to their home, where they lived happily ever after.<br>The End._

Sighing, I slammed the book closed and fell back on my bed. Closing my eyes, I rubbed my aching forehead. My days were falling into a predictable routine. Hours ticked past like years, and days passed like eternities.

At exactly nine o' clock, a guard enters the room to bring me breakfast and clothes for the day. I then have time to eat, shower, dress and read before noon when a guard comes with lunch. I then have a long period of time to stare out my window, attempt to braid my hair in the shape of a heart, and read the numerous books on the shelf. Then at six, I am escorted down to the throne room where I dine in misery with Zant and Midna.

Midna. Every time I see her, I feel like someone stabbed me in the heart.

After dinner, usually at seven, I am taken back to my room, given pajamas and bade goodnight. I have nothing to do that can break the monotonous routine I have fallen in. I often find myself staring at the ceiling, counting cracks or just thinking about how bored I am and how bored I have to be to think about how bored I am. It's rather boring.

Once, I tried using magic to break the door. The spell ricocheted right off the door and came flying back at me. I barely had time to duck before the blast came back at me. That night at dinner, Zant had a field day of jokes at my expense. Turns out his master charmed the door to be immune to all magical attacks.

That's the only other interesting thing I've learned. Zant isn't the head honcho of this operation, he has some master that also resides in the castle, but from what I understand, refuses to see me.

Besides that, the details of their plan are unknown to me. I don't even know who this master is, or what Sages they've obtained, if they've gotten any at all. But most importantly, I have heard nothing of Link.

I don't know if he's dead or alive or barely breathing in a ditch. I know he isn't here, I've gathered that much. Yet until I know he is safe, I won't stop worrying. Every day, I worry myself sick, imagining horrible fantasies of what might have happened to him. My heart feels like someone wrenched it out and put it on a bed of nails to dry. I just need to know he's safe.

Sighing, I stood up to put the book back on the shelf. Skimming the titles of the other novels, I decided on the thickest one entitled _Hyrule's Heroes. _It looks interesting enough. Heaving it over to my bed, I flipped to the table of contents and began scanning the titles. The Hero of Skies. The Hero of the Oracles and Seasons. The Hero of Time. The Hero of the Four Sword. The Hero of Winds. The Hero of Twilight. So many Heroes...

I finally decided on the Hero of Time and flipped to the page listed. There were two sections to his story, one titled "Hyrule" and the other "Termina". Yawning, I began reading the first chapter, about a young Hylian boy living in Kokiri forest, raised thinking he was one of the immortal children.

The story was actually quite interesting. My eyes were glued to the book. Just as I was about to find out what happened when he entered the Temple of Time, a folded piece of paper slipped out of the pages and into my lap. Blinking, I picked it up and unfolded it.

A series of lines and shapes were drawn across the withered parchment, along with the occasional note written in swirling cursive. It's a map. A map of the castle. Excitement flooded through me, and I studied it with fervor. The notes were written by a girl, judging by the handwriting, and told of secret passageways to escape a person she names "Ganondorf." I frowned. That's my papa's name.

My heart pounded as I read a note scrawled next to the drawing of my tower prison. _There is a bookcase placed on the far wall. On the bookcase, a shape of the Triforce is carved at the top. Push it in, and it will reveal a set of stairs leading down. Follow them, and it will lead you to two passageways. The left leads you to the dungeons, the right to a guest bedroom in the east hallway. From the balcony of the guest room you can climb down to the archer's posts on the second outdoor floor of the fortress._

I can escape. I can escape! I let out a loud, happy, laugh, then quickly shut my mouth before the guards posted outside my enchanted door could hear. Smiling to myself, I got up and walked over to the bookcase, trying not to trip over my dress. Holding my breath, I raised my hand up to the engraved Triforce, and pushed tentatively.

The bookcase slid to the side silently, revealing a dark staircase. I smiled again, jumping up and down in excitement. Of course, I'm not stupid enough to just run out into the castle. I'll need to very carefully plan my escape. This will just be a reconnoissance mission. Giggling girlishly, I began jogging down the stairs, slowing as it grew darker and darker. I turned around to go back up and maybe find a flashlight, but the light from my room was gone. The bookshelf had shut me in.

I was able to glow that one time Link and I were trapped underwater in the Lanayru's temple... Concentrating, I let the magic flood me. Almost instantly, my body was glowing with a gold light. Perfect.

I continued on my way down the stairs, humming to myself to help ease some of my nerves. What if they catch me? What will Zant do? He murdered Link's parents, what's to say he won't do the same to me? And what if this master of his is even more powerful and terrifying? I bit my lip as I came to the two hallways the map had warned me of. Left to the dungeons, right to a bedroom in the east wing.

Well, since the dungeons aren't the first place I'd go to for escaping, the guest bedroom it is! Walking down the right hallway, I ran my hand along the stone wall, my fingers tangling in many spiderwebs. I shivered and withdrew my hand, thinking of the hideous spider that bit me in the Faron's temple. I wasn't a huge fan of spiders before, but now I find them downright terrifying.

The hallway came to an abrupt end at a wall. Frowning, I stepped closer so I could see better. The wall as brown and appeared to be made of some sort of wood, unlike the rest of the hall. It's not a door, there's not a handle anywhere in sight...

"The back of a painting!" I whispered to myself, pushing against it and smiling at it gave way, lifting up so I could slip out of the tunnel.

Jumping down, I fell on a dusty bed, cringing as the mattress squeaked beneath me. The room had clearly been forgotten. Dust and cobwebs covered every available surface, and the bedspread and curtains were faded and tattered. Stifling a sneeze, I got up from the creaky bed and made my way over to the curtains. Drawing the, back, I found myself facing two dirty French doors.

Pushing them open quietly, I crept out onto the balcony. Below me, I could hear clanks of armor and occasionally an inhuman hiss. I assumed it was those armed lizards I had seen while being escorted from my room to dinner. Shuddering, I dared to lean over the edge a bit, thankful for the dark dress and the camouflage of the night sky.

There wasn't many patrols, showing that they had a lot of confidence that no one would find the hidden castle. A few torches below provided a dim, flickering light, but besides that it was dark. Overall there was very little activity. Maybe my escape won't be that hard after all.

Smiling, satisfied, I turned on my heel and prepared to retreat back to my prison, but something caught my eye below me. Familiar tan skin and a red ponytail bobbing along behind her. Clothed in an outfit identical to the one Rauru had given me was Nabooru.

Excitement built up within me. Nabooru is here! She must have been a servant of the goddess, and now she's here to rescue me! As quietly as I could, I climbed over the balcony railing and dropped to the ground. I ran as fast as I could behind her, catching up quickly.

"Nabooru!" I hissed loudly. "Nabs!"

She turned around, her surprise evident on her face. That soon turned into a wide smile and she turned to face me. I smiled back and ran faster to get to her. Thank Nayru, I'll be free!

"Nabooru! Gosh am I sure glad to see you-"

The last thing I saw was Nabooru's foot connecting with my face, the ground rushing towards me, then nothing.


	32. Chapter 31

**I got most votes for the happy ending. I kind of figured, though to clear up confusion in my sad ending neither Zelda nor Link would die, just they wouldn't end up together. Other people would die:) Anyway. School sucks.**

**Thanks so so so so (so so so so so so) so so so so much to NekoRose26, Dark Oppressor, Jupsi, Allieo (cough make an account cough), Capt. Quirk, StattStatt, Rinni Love, Princess Zelda-figure skater, pyrosavvy5, predatorform, Sheikagal, LauParisi, Bleachshowlover1 (spelled your name right this time haha), ShadowNinja1011, Not-Alone-Anymore, Iranda20, The First of the Nentari, barrissandahsokafriendz, NineTales627, Midnight Sound, TheJadeDragon37 (I'll look at that), and Snowyflakes for reviewing! That means so much, and oh my goshness we're almost to 500! That's half of one thousand!**

**Okay. Read on. Thank you all for being wonderful people that read my stuff. Carry on.**

**~Leila**

**Yes, and Fi was intended to be snarky. I decided to give her personality, because what fun is it to write an expressionless robot? Also, I published another oneshot to help me through writer's block. It's called Fly Away, and I'd like if you checked it out!  
>Sorry for any error. I wrote a lot of this at 1 AM.<strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 31 (Link)<p>

Out of all the things I've done so far, I have to say this is my favorite. Though mildly frustrating at times, the temple within Hylia's statue has proven to be less hellish than its predecessors. I have to move around some sort of block puzzle that somehow rearranges the rooms within the statue, and once I collect three pieces of a key, I can enter the only locked room near the entryway.

Gritting my teeth, I shoved another one of the blocks to the side, creating an opening for another to slide into. The only problem with the lovely block puzzle is you can't pick up the blocks. You have to slide them. To add to the fun, there are nine blocks for ten slots, and you can't move the block representing the room you're in. At least the rooms containing the key pieces glow. If I had to randomly search, I'd die.

Swearing as my idea to get the blocks in the desired order failed, I couldn't help but think that this was Zelda's thing. Zelda was supposed to figure these things out for me. Rage gripped my heart and I let out an audible growl.

_Calm yourself, Link. Focus on arranging the blocks, and the path will be clear._

"Sounds like some crap straight from a fortune cookie," I remarked, clicking the last block into place, successfully creating a path to the second key piece I needed. The building rumbled as the rooms shifted places, and the grate covering the door lifted, allowing me to pass.

_Call me a fortune cookie again and I might accidentally push you into a pit of lava_, the voice said as I entered a room. There was indeed a large pool of lava in the center, separating me from the door opposite. That and a few monsters.

I slashed through a bokoblin, easily dispatching of it and moving to the next one. Killing was coming easy now, like a second nature. I sicken myself just thinking about it. My sword plunged into the chest of another beast, and I watched with little interest as blood spurted from the wound. I pulled back and watched as the last monster crumpled to the ground, joining its fallen comrades. Taking a deep breath, I sheathed my sword and looked away.

One of the water droplets hung over the lava, and I knocked it down, creating a stepping stone for me to cross the pit of molten rock. The next room had a key piece in it. I'd be two-thirds of the way done.

Opening the door, I found myself in a room lined with trees in even rows, growing at exactly the same height. Sitting on an ornate pedestal on the other side of the room was the key shard. I didn't walk towards it. It was too easy. There had to be something else in this room.

Squinting, I looked over every inch of the room. The ceiling, all four walls and the ground were bare, free of any signs of life. Maybe something is triggered by motion? I waved my hand around experimentally. Nothing happened. Frowning, I took a step forward. That did it.

The ground erupted around me, and two skeletons clawed their way out of the earth, clutching knives in their bony fingers. My sword was out instantly, and before you could say violent killing machine, I was hacking away at the fist monster's ribcage, reducing it to a pile of dust. The second monster was obviously smarter, if it even had a brain in the first place. It was more careful to block my attacks. It parried one of my attacks with one arm, then cleverly slashed at my unguarded side with its second, succeeding in cutting my side. I hissed in pain and stabbed forward, catching it in the ribs. After a good kick to the spine, it crumbled as well, the dust settling to the ground.

I killed them without a second thought. Shuddering, I sheathed my sword and snatched the key piece from the pedestal. I want to be out of here as soon as possible.

Walking back to my block puzzle room, I sighed as I stared blankly at the the complicated puzzle, not having the slightest clue as to what to do next. The last glowing block was pulsing, calling to me from behind all the other blocks. Biting back a yell, I began to randomly shift around blocks, hoping to eventually clear a path.

_Maybe you should try thinking logically. That strategy has proven to work time and time again, _the Maiden sneered.

"Maybe you should try being useful," I shot back. "Help me, don't make smart-ass comments!"

_I try to give you advice, but you always ignore me. That hurts my feelings and I therefore have to resort to sarcasm to make you look stupid._

"You're an awful servant of the goddess," I remarked, a block into the spot I wanted it to be in. "I'm surprised they haven't fired you."

_And you're an awful Hero if you can't even solve a block puzzles. Perhaps the goddesses should smite you, _she replied evenly in her melodic voice.

"Nah, they can't smite me. If they sent me, I'm obviously their last hope, so I have a "Get out of Smite Free" card. You, on the other hand, are smite-able," I told her, sighing in relief as I finally slid the block into the correct place. The usual rumblings followed, and the grate over the door slid open once again, allowing me to pass.

_Actually, I preside in the Master Sword to keep the spirit of a fierce evil deity subdued and contained within the blade. If it were not for me, the world would plunge into an era of destruction. Ergo, I have eternal immunity to smiting, while you are just another mortal. You're expendable_.

I was quiet for a moment. Who is this girl in my sword? She's this mysterious voice that obviously has had a long past and had a huge role to play in time. I entered the new room, pondering possible theories of my sword girl as I hacked through some plant monsters and large bats. Maybe she was some superhero in a past life, and the goddesses were so happy with her hero-ness that they rewarded her by forever preserving her in a sword... That makes no sense. Or... She was naughty and received eternal time out in a sword?

_You think I'm in time out._

"It's possible," I grunted, stabbing through a bokoblin. "They're just theories. I have no idea what the hell you are or where you came from. We should talk over coffee sometime. Get to know each other."

_Sounds pleasant. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to have coffee. Perhaps a nice chat over demon corpses instead? On your left, _she warned me.

I took care of the thing on my left and laughed darkly at her comment. "That's definitely the more realistic of the two," I agreed, looking down at the pool of bodies at my feet. Shuddering, I stepped over them and entered the last room.

This room housed a large pool of... water. And a giant damned squid. Memories rushed back of darkness and the air squeezing from my lungs and the single yellow eye, staring me down as I slowly drowned... Anger flared up within me, and I quickly drew the bow. Damn the squid to hell.

I aimed straight for the bulbous yellow eye and fired. My arrow met its mark, burying itself in the gelatinous sclera of the squid. It let out a hideous shriek and flailed its multiple tentacles about, succeeding in knocking me off my feet. Grunting as the air left my lungs, I rebounded quickly and aimed the bow again. This time, the squid swung its tentacle at me, and I barely had time to jump away before the long appendage came crashing down, crushing the stone floor of my previous spot.

The arrow slipped from my fingers and clattered to the floor. With a colorful swear word, I dropped to the floor to avoid another tentacle and fumbled for the arrow, trying in vain to knock it before I was crushed by another tentacle. I tried to slide away, but my foot was still caught under the tentacle. I yelled out as a crushing pain vibrated through my body. I pulled myself up, ignoring my foot and nocked the second arrow. Taking aim, I let it fly and it once again landed in the eye of the squid.

The creature let out a loud, dying shriek then fell over in the water, floating belly up. The final piece of the key rested on its blubbery stomach.

Limping over to the creature, I struggled to climb its slippery mountain of a stomach. I grabbed the key and slid down, wincing as I landed on my foot. The tentacle probably broke something. I took a minute to dig one of Koume and Kotake's potions out from my bag and downed it in a gulp, sighing in relief as the pain-killing effects took over.

_You have succeeded in securing the three shards of the broken key. I suggest you head to the locked door we saw in the beginning of the temple, _Mystery Girl said.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I snapped, throwing the door open and stalking through the room full of corpses.

_You told me to be helpful._

"Yeah, but I already knew that! Be helpful when I don't know what to do!" I clarified.

_What's the fun in that? It's entertaining to watch you squirm._

"Whose side are you on here?" I asked, entering the block puzzle room. The locked door was just down the hall.

_The side of the goddesses._

I rolled my eyes and produced the three pieces of the key from my pocket. "How am I supposed to fix this? Do you have super glue or something? I asked. "Scotch tape, anything?"

_Why use such mundane tools when you have so much power on demand? Use magic, _she told me.

"Um... How?" I asked, staring at the triangulate emblem on my left hand. It was so dull and ordinary, it could have been a tattoo.

_Concentrate. Imagine energy flowing from you, down your arm and into the key pieces. Focus on welding the shards together. Think unity, _she prompted.

"See, _that _was helpful," I congratulated her.

She didn't reply, and I sighed, staring at the pieces. Closing my eyes, I envisioned golden energy flowing within me. I felt a hum of power, and warmth surged through my body. I then guided the power, streaming like water, and channeled it down my arm and out my fingers. Unity. Whole. One. The key burned hot in my hand, and my eyes snapped open.

It was whole again, resting in my hand as one piece. I grinned to myself. "I'm like a wizard. Like a super ninja!" I proclaimed, raising the key skyward.

_It's sad to see how every random kid on the street with powers suddenly thinks he's a wizard._

I snorted and smiled a little. "Well, it's true for me. I'm just a pointy-hat wearing, long beard-growing guy at heart," I told her, shoving the key into the lock and turning it. The chains binding the door slid open, and it opened automatically.

I entered the room cautiously, my hand already on the hilt of my sword, ready to draw at a second's notice.

"Well, well, aren't you quite the warrior?" a voice called out. Something cold gripped my heart and my hand around the sword's hilt tightened.

It was Zelda.

"You strut in here, confident but careful, your stance ready for a fight, your hand already on your weapon. I must say, you've wised up since our last meeting, Which wasn't really that long ago."

She came out of the shadows, a smug grin plastered on her face. Her hair was drawn up into a high ponytail, tied with a Gerudo scarf. She smirked at me, her blue eyes twinkling wickedly.

"You've got all lot of nerve showing your bitch face to me," I hissed, drawing my sword. She made a pouty face at me.

"No need to draw the sharp objects, Linky-poo. And I don't appreciate the language," she told me, circling me slowly. The superior look never left her face, an expression I recognized from somewhere but I couldn't recall where.

"Why are you here?" I growled, my eyes never leaving hers.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to rip your heart to pieces and stamp on your soul with stilettos," she said simply, smiling evilly. "I want to see you crying broken on the floor, begging for my mercy."

"Touching," I snapped, shifting my sword in my hand. "That's truly really sweet. Comments like that warm my little heart."

"There's plenty more where that one came from," she told me, grinning again. "Now, little Hero, enough of this idle chitchat. I've come to gather information and ask you some questions. If you cooperate like a good little boy, this could go without bloodshed. If you resist..." she trailed off, fingering her crystal dagger. "There will be hell to pay."

"I'm not telling you goddessdamned anything! If you ask what I had for breakfast, I still wouldn't answer you, you pretentious ass!" I yelled.

Her eyes narrowed. "I'll be lenient and ignore that. Now, I'm going to ask you once. Where is the goddess girl?"

I blinked. "What in the name of Sam hell are you talking about?"

"Where is Hylia! Where is the goddess girl!" she shrieked, her rage growing by the second.

I smiled. "You little liar. You said you'd only ask once!"

She rolled her eyes, breaking eye contact with me for a split second. That was all I needed. I swung out and punched her straight across the face, connecting with her nose. She looked stunned for a second, staring in disbelief at the blood on the floor that dripped from her nose. She looked back up at me, her glare deadly.

"You'll pay for that with your life, Hero," she hissed. "But since I have other matters to attend to, I'll let my friend attend to you!"

I turned as I heard a rumbling behind me. Another skeleton was assembling, but not the usual type of undead warrior. This one was massive. I barely came up to the middle of its leg. It had six arms, each wielding a different type of sharp, dangerous thing. Its massive hollow eyes locked on to me, glowing ominously.

"Well shit."

Zelda gave a cackle and winked at me a last time before disappearing in a flash of orange light.

I didn't have time to fume over her, I had to deal with the more eminent threat, which was looming over me with a giant axe at the current moment. I threw myself out of the way as the axe came crashing down, then jumped out of the way as a Terminian Giant-sized meat cleaver came inches away from chopping off my toes.

"What should I do!" I yelled over the thunderous boom of another massive weapon hitting the floor.

_Consider your options. What can you do?_

"I can use my bow and arrow, sword, fire wand thing, or the harp!"

_You're considering "harping" it to death?_

"Maybe! I kind of just want to live right now!" I grunted, as I dove between its legs, hoping it was dumb and that my sudden disappearance would throw it off. It wasn't dumb. It turned around immediately and locked its eyes on me again.

"Are bones flammable?" I called, referencing to my precious fire wand.

_Unfortunately, no, Master. Human bones are not flammable and will not burn in a fire._

"Is this thing considered human?" I asked, barely sidestepping a knife to the head. My heart was pounding wildly, fueled by adrenaline.

_Why don't you find out? You can't lose anything from trying._

The disembodied voice has a point. I drew my fire wand, whispering "_Ignis" _to light it, a flame burning at the tip. As the skeleton swung down with another weapon, I jumped out of the way and threw a large fireball at the skeletal arm. The flame seemed to spark out and for a second I was convinced I was screwed, but suddenly a fire blazed up, instantly consuming the arm. The skeleton staggered back, and the giant broadsword it held clattered to the floor.

_Master, this is your chance. Call on the Triforce and use it to lift the massive weapon the creature dropped. Then you can easily slash at the giant._

A grin spread across my face, and I imagined myself channeling my power to lift a feather. Running up to the sword, I lifted it as easily as I would my own sword. The skeleton regained its balance and prepared to strike at me again. It was surprised to receive resistance. After I blocked its hit, I turned and quickly cut off another one of its arms. It fell to the floor, along with the axe. Two down, four to go. I ran backwards, barely avoiding the bite of a knife.

The skeleton seemed to change tactics. Suddenly, I leapt up into the air, jumping at me with all four weapons raised. I threw myself to the ground, baseball sliding to safety. The weapons all stuck in the ground, and the skeleton had to yank to pull the weapons back out of the stone floor. As it was preoccupied with its stuck swords, I swung with my own giant sword again, this time chopping off not one but two giant arms. It was like cutting butter.

With a roar, the skeleton pulled its remaining two weapons out of the ground. It began to swing madly and unpredictably, like a whirlwind of blades.

_Why bother with the arms? Why not eliminate a different part of its body?_

What does she mean? I ducked to avoid another series of erratic swings, pondering this advice. I ran between the legs again, escaping the cleaver's killing blow. The legs. Take out the legs, and the rest will fall.

Swinging horizontally, I managed to cleanly cut off both legs. The skeleton fell to the ground, propped up only by its ribcage, which it instantly crossed its remaining weapons over protectively. I stabbed below the X of weapons, managing to destroy a few ribs. The skeleton began to totter back and forth. I gave it another stab, this time severing the spine.

With a loud, inhuman shriek, the skeleton blackened and crumbled to dust, raining from the sky like black snow. Breathing heavily, I threw the sword to the ground and released my hold on my magic.

_Not bad. Not bad at all._

In the center of the room, a spot of glowing blue light appeared, pulsing soothingly. I eyed it warily, reaching for my sword. Is it some sort of evil spirit light?

_Not quite. That is a type of portal constructed using light magic. Once you step foot in it, you will transported to a pre-designated destination. I calculate a high chance that it will lead you to Ordona's Spring._

"Convenient," I murmured, all of my energy drained. Too many things were on my mind. Zelda. Her question about finding Hylia, or a "little goddess girl". Zelda. Who was this little goddess girl? Why the hell was she looking for Hylia, who is in the Sacred Realm where she's supposed to be?

Shaking my head, I stepped into the light portal, feeling my body stretch uncomfortably. It was like being in a taffy puller. I gritted my teeth, and when I opened my eyes found myself un-stretched and in another one of the soothing Spirit's Springs. I pulled Zelda's necklace from my pocket and watched as a carved wooden leaf shattered, releasing particles of the unearthly light.

The particles took form to what looked like some hybrid cow-ox-goat. Thing. Ordona looked at me with golden unblinking eyes, studying me and staring into the depths of my soul.

_"Your journey has changed you," _he finally stated.

'Your journey has changed you'. I'm a heartless monster. I kill without thought. I'm constantly on edge, scared of the world, fighting for a place to sleep at night. I'm an empty shell. I'm nothing like what I was before.

_"You have traveled far to all four springs, and for that, I congratulate you. Unfortunately, the one you seek is not here. The Spirit Maiden, the one you know as Aryll, has not yet arrived to purify herself in my spring. I predict she will arrive soon, but you cannot stay to greet her."_

My heart dropped. "W-What?" I stammered, trying to process what he said. Aryll. Isn't Here. You. Can't. See. Her.

_"Your journey is far from over, my young Hero. From here, you will need to journey to the Triforce Realm where you will meet up with your sister."_

"Where is this realm! How do I get to it?" I cried, my hysteria rising.

I went through all of that for nothing. There's still more. I hate this, I hate everything, I hate my life...

_"You must return to the witches Koume and Kotake, for while no one knows the location of the Triforce Realm, they know the locations of the two trails needed to pass to obtain the map to the Triforce Realm. Go there and speak to them. They will send you on your way."_

Though the thought of seeing the two sisters again was comforting, I was far from comforted. I needed Aryll, I needed sanity, I needed something to hold on to!

"I can't do this! Please, no more trials or anything just let me see Aryll!" I begged, tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. Ordona just gazed at me sadly, and a light engulfed me, stretching me out again.

_"A heroes' journey is lonely and long. A heroes' work is never easy. A hero must always be strong..."_

The light faded and I found myself in the empty multi-colored streets of Skyloft City, alone and broken.

I can't do this. I'll be shattered by the end...

* * *

><p>The Hyrule blacksmith had always had a small stream of constant business. Sometimes the Royal Guard needed their swords sharpened, or a new piece of armor needed to be forged for a new member of the Guard. He loved his work and was happy to be at the furnace, soot and sweat on his forehead. He got little work, but what work he got, he cherished like it was a diamond.<p>

Among all of his years of forging, not once had he had as much work as he did now. War was coming, and the King needed armor and weapons to suit all of his soldiers for the army.

He pounded him hammer on the red-hot metal of a blade.

Work, work, war is coming.

He found it terrifying. With every piece of armor he forged, he couldn't help but wonder who would die wearing it. With every blade he pounded into shape, he couldn't help but think of the bodies being impaled at its point.

Sparks flew from the blade, and the sound of the hammer hitting metal rang loudly through his shop.

Fire is catching. Work, work, war is coming.

He hadn't rested all week. He spent all of his time in his hot workshop, slaving away, creating the tools that made the war possible. He was responsible for crafting the weapons responsible for deaths. It all traced back to him.

He ceased the pounding and stuck the blade back in the heated coals. The metal glowed white with the heat.

Heat is on, fire is catching. Work, work, war is coming.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, smearing a streak of soot over his forehead. The ringing of the hammer replayed in his head. The clang of metal on metal, sword on sword. Come a week and a half, the screams of the fallen would be piercing his walls, haunting his dreams, disturbing his peace. The screams and the clanging of the weapons forged by his hands.

He pulled a few molten blades from the fire and dipped them in a tub of water, listening to the satisfying sizzle that ensued. He couldn't to be thinking thoughts like these. There was too much work to do in too little time.

Work, work, war is coming.


	33. Chapter 32

**Fast update! I am so super psyched for these next few chapters! I love the last half of my story, I've got this all mapped out in my head. War, undying love, dramatic deaths, betrayal, revealings... Ah! I can't wait:)**

**Thanks a billion to Stripesdatiger, The First of the Nentari, DarkOppressor, WolfenAmphithere, Farore64, anonomous, Jupsi, prien12 (MY 500th REVIEWER!), Bleachshowlover1, LauParisi, SkaterGirl222, Iranda20, GlissGirl99, ShadowNinja1011, and pyrosavvy5 for reviewing! Five hundred. That seriously means so much to me guys, and thank you very much!**

**If you like Zelink, check out September by Trinkets for Tall Tales. Plenty of Zelink there! If you want a more psychologically disturbing, but amazingly written piece, look at Who By Fire by Anithene. Both are fantastic.**

**Shout-out to LauParisi who figured out the fake Zelda a while ago. I was extremely impressed! And a couple other people guessed as well... You can see if you're right now!**

**~Leila**

**This will be a nice, revealing chapter. I like this one. It's shorter, but I like it. And I have officially wondered how I write these things. The ending is my happy part to keep me from feeling like a disturbed person!**

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><p>Chapter 32 (Zelda)<p>

My eyes fluttered open. Darkness greeted my eyes, stretching as far as my eyes could see. I groaned, my heart pounding with a dull pain. Attempting to bring my hand up to my head to check for bleeding, I gasped as I found I couldn't. I was bound to a chair with ropes of steel, glowing with some sort of magic. It had a dark aura to it, and it made me feel exhausted and drained of all energy.

I squirmed in my chair, trying to shake myself loose. As I moved, the enchanted bonds tightened around my wrists, drawing blood and causing me to scream. Biting my lip, I ceased movement immediately, hoping in vain that the constriction would slack.

"Can't escape this time, little princess," I heard Zant's voice, and my blood ran cold. I had escaped. I had been recaptured. And I have a sinking feeling that Zant doesn't forgive easily.

A ball of harsh turquoise light appeared, illuminating the chair, causing me to flinch away from the bright, sudden light. Zant walked over, taking slow steps that thudded through the room, and began to circle the chair, his face neutral but his eyes deadly.

"Princess, do you know where we are?" he asked, his voice calm and low, his horrible orange eyes burning into mine.

"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

The light flooded the room, chasing the darkness to the corners. I almost screamed at the sights before me. Skeletons hung upside-down, grotesque smiles frozen on their skulls. Some were missing arms, others, legs. One lacked a mouth. One had no ribcage. I bit my lip to keep from shrieking. Multiple torture devices were scattered throughout the room. A helmet composed of rusty spikes that would drill into the skull when tightened. A bed of needles specifically placed to pierce the most sensitive nerves. A set of forks next to a jar of eyeballs, preserved in formaldehyde.

Zant looked at me again, this time his face arranged in a sympathetic smile, watching me tremble as if he were gazing down on a little girl who dropped her ice cream cone.

"When this castle was still functional, it was run by a fierce warrior society. They were quite barbaric, actually. While they excelled at war and combat, one of their personal specialties and fascinations was human torture. They spent hours devising the most painful ways to hurt a man and the psychologically scarring ways to drive a man mad without killing him. Those you see here are just a few of their test subjects," Zant told me, his eyes boring into mine.

I whimpered, looking at the skeleton closest to me. It was considerably smaller that the rest of the skeletons, grinning its small smile at me. I felt sick.

"Now that we've learned a little history, I'd like for you to answer a question. How did you get _out_?!" he thundered, his shouts of rage echoing through the torture chamber.

I stared up at him, my eyes wide. What do I say? Do I tell him about the map and give away my only chance of escape? Do I tell him and sacrifice my freedom? But if I refuse him... My eyes drifted the child's skeleton, lingering on the large, needle covered ball wedged tightly in its jaws.

"Well?" Zant demanded.

"I-I used magic," I stammered. "I jumped from the window and used magic to stall my fall. From there I worked my way through the outdoor halls until I ran into..." I trailed off.

Nabooru. The last thing I remember is her smile. What happened to her? Did they catch her as well?

"The window, hm? Figures. We didn't put a barrier up assuming you weren't dumb enough to jump," he mused. "Obviously you have better control of your magic than we previously thought..."

I managed to nod weakly before dropping my gaze to the floor. Why did I ever try to escape? My life will be more of a hell than it is now. Biting back tears, I dug my fingernails into my calf, hoping that the sharp pricks would distract me from my current situation.

"Of course, we will take care of that window problem. You will no longer be jumping from castle towers, my sweet Zelda. However, despite my hospitality and generosity towards you, you decided to try to give me the slip. Do you know how easy it would have been to slit your throat while you were unconscious? But no, I nursed you back to health and keep you healthy still. This little act of disobedience will not go unpunished, little princess," he told me, grinning wickedly.

Then, he leaned in closer, too close for my comfort. I strained to pull away, but was restricted by the ropes that held me. His breath was hot on my neck, and he whispered quietly in my ear. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging for mercy and deaf from your own screams."

I shivered as he ran his tongue up my neck, causing me to cringe in disgust. The skin where his tongue touched felt as if it were on fire, a burning sensation that lingered long after he pulled away.

"To start, I believe we'll-"

"You're going to start the show without me? Really Zant, you can't have all the fun around here," a different voice echoed through the chamber. Zant turned and smiled at the source, and I bit my lip to prevent myself from screaming, so hard I drew blood.

I was staring at me, just like in my dreams. She wore a dress identical to mine and smiled smugly at me, strutting over to where Zant stood and placing her hands on her hips.

I could only watch in horror as her blue eyes were eaten away by gold, her skin tone darkened to a rich bronze and her blonde hair was stained the crimson of blood.

"Ah, Nabooru. How nice of you to join us."

* * *

><p>Sheik fell off the hideous blue creature and sprawled out on the grass, feeling very queasy and sluggish. Aryll hopped off the monstrous beast after him with Navi fluttering by her head.<p>

"Remind me to never ride a moving thing ever again," he moaned from the ground.

Aryll grinned down at him. "Aw, is the big fierce warrior scared of a little Loftwing?"

"I'm not scared of the bird," he clarified, "I get really motion sick!"

"Sure, that's it," Aryll giggled as she stroked the blue bird's beak.

Sheik rolled his eyes and pulled himself off the ground. The last spring was apparently located near Skyloft, so naturally they flew around on a giant blue bird to get there. He found it funny how the streets of the city were deserted, the skies were a central highway, teeming with activity. Luckily Aryll somehow knew how to fly the stupid bird or they probably would have ended up in a violent bird-accident.

His gaze flickered up to a massive statue portraying a woman, her hands folded and serene smile on her face.

"This is?" he asked. Aryll nodded.

"Mm-hmm. This is the Goddess Statue, supposedly created in the image of the goddess Hylia."

Sheik stared at the stone woman. "It looks nothing like you," he commented.

She shrugged and gave a short laugh. "It looked nothing like me then either. Let's go."

We began to walk towards the entrance at the base of the massive statue, and as we walked I felt Aryll slip her small hand into mine. My heart involuntarily fluttered and I looked down to smile at her.

"You alright?" I asked.

"I'm fine," she insisted, shrugging, though I could tell she was upset about something. I turned and winked at Navi, knowing exactly why she was upset.

"You're fine? Only fine? Don't you know what day it is today?" I asked.

She looked up at me curiously before replying warily, "Tuesday?"

"And it's also the day Aryll Carstairs came into the world exactly eleven years ago!" I told her.

Her face lit up, and Navi and I began to sing. We were out of tune and probably too loud, but it was perfect just the same. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Aryll Her Grace Hylia! Happy birthday to you!"

She giggled and hugged me. "Sheik, Navi! You guys are the greatest!" Looking up at me, she smiled and whispered, "I knew I picked right. I knew you'd be perfect to protect me."

I smiled and shrugged. "We got you a present," I told her as Navi flew over, struggling to stay airborne as she carried the small present. ""It's not much... At all... But we had to work with the current circumstances," I said as Navi dropped our makeshift necklace in her hand.

"I picked the rocks out myself," Navi informed her, smiling eagerly.

The necklace displayed a large, central rock with two smaller rocks bordering each side of the larger. Navi had indeed spent time hand-selecting each rock, and I charmed them to bring out color and shine. After wards, I used magic to drill holed in them and threaded them on a string I found in my pocket. It didn't look bad, but I felt a little embarrassed giving a piece of junk like that to a goddess.

"It's beautiful," Aryll whispered, her eyes shining. "Thank you both so much."

And she leaned up and kissed my cheek lightly. My eyes widened and I could feel my cheeks burning, much to my horror. Clearing my throat, hoping she didn't notice my blush, I said, "Well, uh, enough with the mushy stuff. Let's, ah, keep going."

She giggled and nodded. "Aye, aye, Chief!"

And she ran off ahead of me, her golden hair streaming behind her, yelling to taunt me as she bolted for the statue. Navi flew over and landed on my shoulder, grinning smugly up at me.

"Sheik and Aryll, sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-"

"Alright, enough from you! We have work to do," I growled, running to catch up to Aryll, doing my best to tone out Navi's high-pitched giggles.


	34. Chapter 33

**Sorry this took so long... I've got school and musical and elite choir and all this other stuff that happens in my real life outside the internet that stalled this chapter for quite a while. And also a MASSIVE writer's block phase. It was awful. This chapter is to get some of my other timelines into motion. I really like these and have put a lot of thought into them, so I hope you like them! I am especially proud of Tetra's portion...**

****Thanks so very gosh darn much to zeldax, Stripesdatiger, SamZelda xCrimsonLoftwingx, LoveMadness, Kirbymepoyo, Kamil the Awesome, NineTales627, StattStatt, Jupsi, LauParisi, ShadowNinja1011, prien12, pyrosavvy5, Sheikagal, WolfenAmphithere, The First of the Nentari, Not-Alone-Anymore, and Farore64 for reviewing! It warms my soul, please review! Just say something small that you liked, or even two words, I don't care:)****

****I published another one shot in the middle of writer's block. It's called Save You Tonight, and it's a tragedy, but I am pretty satisfied with how it turned out. And while we're on the subject of tragedies, please, go do yourself a favor and read Marionette by lEva114. It is a fantastic read if you love horror/scary stories like me! Also, my friend wrote a mildly angst-y one-shot about Zelda and Link called Remember Me, but I published it on my account so check it out for her!****

**~Leila**

**Also, I mention a heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT. It's not as serious as I make it out to be and does certainly not cause physical impairment (I have it) but if left untreated, the heart could indeed collapse on itself.**

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><p>Chapter 33 (Teagan)<p>

"Who is he, Aunt Impa?" Teagan whispered, looking at the hooded figure walking alongside them, watching suspiciously as he would every so often trip over a root or rock, and occasionally, his own feet.

"A friend and someone to be trusted. You need not know more that that," Impa said shortly, not even turning to look at her.

Teagan rolled her eyes. It wasn't like she was ten and needed everything censored for her, for Din's sake. She had just seen her parents goddessdamned bodies hanging from the ceiling! She had soared through the air and landed in the forest thousands of miles away from her home! Her aunt had some long, boring speech about undiscovered powers and destiny prepared for her, and hearing it, Teagan was reminded of her college professor's long tangents.

She just someone would tell her what the hell was going on.

"Does he talk?" she asked bluntly, still staring at the stranger who hadn't uttered a word since they began traveling.

"Of course he talks! He's preoccupied at the moment," she told him.

"With what? He's walking, and he's not doing so great at that either," she snapped as he tripped again, proving her point. Aunt Impa sighed, her mouth pressed into a tight line.

"Teagan, just be quiet. There are some things you just don't understand right now."

Then explain them to me!" she hissed.

Predictably, her aunt remained silent, gazing stonily ahead.

_Bitch_, she thought bitterly. Impa was her aunt on her father's side, and they shared their tan skin, flaxen hair and crimson eyes, all traits of the Sheikah. Her father never spoke much of his sister, but when he did, he said she was crazy. Her mother did too, telling Teagan how she believed in witchcraft and ancient legends and magic. They never liked it much when they went to stay with Impa in the summers as they worked, but no one else would watch them for that long, so they had to agree.

Teagan always thought she was the greatest aunt in the world. She had a job as a nanny, working for a rich family that paid well, letting her buy a nice apartment with a large open space to train in. She'd teach them the old ways of the Sheikah, tell them old stories of destiny and magic, and told them they were special as well. They'd spend hours mastering weaponry, camouflage and magic techniques, and Teagan loved every bit of it. They only bit both her and Sheik agreed they didn't like was that she made them eat healthy to maintain an athletic body.

She had given Teagan her special necklace, the one Sheik took, and told her that she was special. After that, she stopped teaching Teagan in magic and began focusing more and more on Sheik, making his exercises in combat and defense more rigorous, pushing him while she let Teagan get away with easier weapons and self-defense classes. She began to feel rather jealous of her younger brother. She often asked her Aunt Impa why she never got as much training as Sheik, and she always replied, "He needs it more."

Of course, that didn't satisfy the hormonal, envious teenage Teagan, but now she couldn't help but wonder if he left because of some big important job. Maybe he really did need all the training more.

She looked up again, just in time to see Mystery Man run headlong into a tree. She snickered, and Aunt Impa leaned over to whisper something to him. She scowled, not liking the exclusion. He nodded, and Aunt Impa turned back to her.

"We're going to rest here for a while. It's about time for a meal, and he's exhausted," she told her.

_He's _exhausted. Why would he be any more worn out than she? He walked the same distance as them.

"Alright," Teagan responded, wondering how she got into this crazy mess. _I must be dreaming. I'll wake up eventually, I know it. _"Do you need help with dinner or anything?" she asked, trying to sound useful.

"No, that's fine. It's dried meat and fruit anyway," she responded, reaching for the bag she had been carrying. "Mattie, finish what you're doing, then come have dinner. You need to eat," she said to the boy, who nodded robotically in return

_Mattie. So that's his name. And what the hell did she mean by "finish what you're doing?" He's just sitting there, staring off into space like a stoner! Maybe he is a stoner. That would make a lot of sense_, Teagan thought, taking her small piece of beef jerky and staring at it suspiciously.

"Aunt Impa, why do you have a drug-dealing teenaged boy with you? Why the hell are we doing this in the first place? Why am I here? Have you finally lost it?" she demanded, ripping into her tough jerky angrily.

"Teagan Marie Umbra! I will tell you later, right now I am trying to enjoy a peaceful dinner in the goddessdamned monster-infested woods! Please stop asking absurd questions and know they will be answered! He is not a drug-dealer, how dare you suggest that, and I am not crazy. Even if I were, you're following me which makes you as guilty as the accused," she snapped, glaring at her with her intense red eyes. Teagan lowered her gaze and glared at the ground.

They continued to eat in a strained silence, the tension hanging in the air like a cloud of cigar smoke. The tense quiet was broke as the boy, Mattie, suddenly seemed to spring into reality. He groaned and rubbed his temples.

"Farore, my head is killing me," he complained, wincing as he moved to sit next to them.

"Oh, you're not mute. I was beginning to wonder," Teagan said dryly, tearing away another piece of the disgusting jerky. He eyes her with a weird look, then turned back to Impa.

"Any news?" her aunt asked.

He shrugged. "We just drafted. The new draftees should be moving to the castle for the next week and a half to train. I'll see what I have to work with," he sighed, helping himself to a piece of the dried beef, chewing it absently.

"Who are you?" Teagan demanded, glaring at him from her spot across from the stranger. He seemed taken aback by her question.

"Teagan! You will treat him with respect," Aunt Impa scolded. Teagan shrugged and reached for a dried apricot.

"He can at least tell me his name," she sneered. "So I have something to call him by besides Klutz, Daydreamer, and Stranger."

He grinned, to her surprise. "As delightfully true as all of those are, call me Mattie," he told her, smiling again. "And you are?"

"Teagan," she deadpanned.

"That's a nice name," he said.

She wasn't liking his optimism. "It's better than Mattie,"she agreed.

He frowned, and her aunt smacked her across the head. "You can at least be civil! What's gotten into you?" she demanded.

"Gee, Aunt Impa! I don't know! My brother is gone, my parents are dead, I barely escaped from some hideous monster and end up in some goddess-forsaken woods with the two of you who won't tell me what the shit is going on!" she yelled. "I really don't know what's gotten into me! I'd ask my parents, but they're dead!"

With that, she leapt up and ran away from the campsite, further into the woods. Finding a nice tree, she hoisted herself up and settled into a comfortable spot. And she began to cry. She cried and cried with no Sheik, no mom, no dad, no home, no one. She was alone and confused and scared.

She heard a noise through her sobs, and looked to see Mattie climbing up the tree. She quickly wiped her tears away and hoped her eyes weren't red, putting on a scowl as he reached the branch she was sitting on.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" he asked,

"Well you already are. No need to ask," she said bluntly, sniffling again.

There was a pause.

"I'm sorry about your parents," he finally said, his voice quiet, almost distant. "I really am. I know how it feels. Do you need someone to talk to?" he asked.

Teagan blinked. A guy asked her if she needed to share her feelings. A complete stranger told her she understood. This random boy told her she was sorry. She glared up at him, preparing a brutal comeback, but before the first word left her lips, she was crying again, this time burying her face in his shoulder.

She cried for a long time.

* * *

><p>Tetra was curled up in a tight ball on her bed, biting her lip to keep from screaming. Silent sobs racked her body, and blood welled up around her canines as he teeth dug into her lips. There was a paper shaking in her trembling hand, slightly crumpled and stained with tears.<p>

She had gone to get the mail. She hadn't been happy to, her father made her get off the couch where she was enjoying a nice, violent movie and a bowl of ice-cream, but she had trudged out in her sweatpants and faded purple t-shirt nonetheless, grumbling as she ran over to the mailbox. She pulled the usual pile of magazines and bills out of the mailbox and turned to go back to her movie, when one of the letters fell. Groaning, she had bent to retrieve it but froze when she saw it.

It was from the Guard, addressed to Tetris Windfall.

Her body began to quake with fear and anticipation, and she quickly ran inside. She could feel the heavy, golden Rupee resting within the thick envelope. Throwing the rest of the mail in a messy pile on the kitchen counter, she turned to run to her room.

"What's the hurry there, Tet? You were moving about the speed of a sea slug two minutes ago when I asked you to get up from the couch," her dad had said, winking at her playfully.

"I, um, I..." Tetra stuttered, trying to think of something that would make him leave her alone. "Uh, I- Oh! I'm on period!" she squeaked, bolting up the stairs. She normally would have commended herself for such a brilliant excuse, but she was in a panicked mood now.

She didn't stop running until she was in her bedroom and the door was locked behind her. Breathing heavily, she ran her finger under the paper seam, splitting the envelope open.

The Rupee fell out instantly, clattering on the floor, a spot of gold shining on her pink fuzzy carpet. She made no move to retrieve the fallen Rupee, her eyes still locked on the envelope. Her shaking fingers groped at the paper within, unable to grasp the thin material. Impatient, she ripped into the thick envelope, tearing into it savagely. A fear she had never felt before was gripping her heart in its cold fingers, though she didn't know why.

_It's your first time, Tetra, your name has only been in there once they're not going to pick you..._

She finally got ahold of the desired paper, and taking a shaky breath, began to unfold it.

_Not going to pick you..._

The paper was revealed in its full splendor, and she had to stare at each word for several minutes before she comprehended what it was saying at all. Her heart was pumping way faster than what was considered normal. There should have been no reason she was overreacting. So why was she?_  
><em>

Taking another deep breath, she read the paper, sentence by sentence, word by word. She read steadily at first, then slowed, then stopped. Her hands began to shake, her knees began to wobble, and tears pooled in her eyes.

_No, no, no..._

She let out a strangled scream and bit her lip to keep herself from worrying her dad. _No, no no... _A single tear slid down her cheek and dropped onto the paper. _No, no, no..._

_The Kingdom of Hryule thanks you for your patronage. Please remember the draft is random and is in no way biased by the Choosers. Tetris Windfall has been called upon to serve the Royal Army under the goddesses. A compensation of 300 Rupees has been enclosed. You are summoned to the Castle for a week's worth of training the day after receiving this notice. Again, we thank your for your loyalty to the Kingdom..._

She collapsed in a heap on her bed, her body shaking with cries she couldn't allow to be vocal. And she was there now, biting her fingers and rocking back and forth on her black checked bedspread, wondering _why_.

_Why _did she do it?

_Why _was she so stupid?

_Why _did they have to pick her?

_Why, why, why, why..._

"Tet?"

Her heart froze, and before she turned around she shoved the letter underneath her floppy flowered pillow. She turned to face her father, looking like a tearful deer in headlights.

"Tetra, what's wrong baby?" he asked, coming to sit on her bed and hold her like he used to.

What should she say, she was silent as he stroke her hair, her brain racing as she struggled to produce a lie. _Ilia died. I'm pregnant. An alien came and stole my fish. I got drafted for war, daddy, little Tet got drafted for war..._

"Roy got drafted," she choked out. "He just texted me."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," he said, hugging her tightly. "He really got drafted?"

_Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. You really got drafted?_

She nodded. "I- He only found out like two minutes ago."

"Tetra I'm so sorry. This war is so hard, but you know, we're going to pull through. We'll keep Roy in our prayers." He smiled at her, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he did so.

_Tetra, I'm so sorry. This war is so hard, but you know, we're going to pull through. I'll keep you in my prayers._

"I'm just glad you'll be safe at home," he told her, kissing the top of her head.

The cold fear gripped her heart, and she somehow managed a nod. "C-can I be alone for a little bit, Daddy?" she asked.

He nodded and squeezed her a last time before standing. The bed creaked loudly as his weight was removed. "Of course, Tetris."

_Tetris Windfall has been called..._

"I'll be downstairs if you need to talk, honey, alright?" he said, starting to close her door.

"Daddy?" she called. He turned to look at her. "I love you."

He smiled at her, the same smile she grew up with. The same smile that was there for her dance recitals and swim meets, and was there on boating trips and beach outings. "I love you too, Tetra. More than you know."

And he shut the door. He was gone, and Tetra was left staring at the dozens of Four Sword band posters plastered onto her door. The pictures of Green, Blue, Red, and Vio smiled back at her.

The shakes returned, quite violently, and it wasn't long before she was bawling again. She lied to her father. Roy was going voluntarily, and she had known for a while. She was being drafted, and he wouldn't know where she'd gone. She couldn't tell him. He'd want to take her place, and she couldn't send her father there. He couldn't go where she was going.

She resumed her scrunched up ball position and dug her fingernails into the comforter.

_Tetris Windfall has been called to serve the Royal Army..._

The golden Rupee still shone on her carpet, taunting her, shaming her.

_A compensation of 300 Rupees has been enclosed..._

A realization slammed into Tetra like a sledgehammer, and this hurt worse than the others. This is what drove her to the peak points of hysteria, of fear, of sadness.

She sold her life to them. Willingly.

She sold her life for three hundred Rupees.

* * *

><p>"You're not going! You're not!" she screamed, blinking back tears. She wouldn't cry. She didn't cry. She wouldn't allow herself to.<p>

"Ashei, please, calm down. There's nothing I can do," he said calmly, regarding her with his light blue eyes. She wished he wouldn't look at her like that. It wasn't making this any easier.

"There's always something you can do! Talk to the King, you're good friends, get a doctor's note, call sick, _something_," she pleaded.

"You're being a child, Ash! I've been drafted and there's nothing I can do, okay?" he snapped, his calm demeanor cracking. The anger fade almost instantly, and he dropped his gaze to the floor. "Nothing I can do."

"You're a school teacher, Shad. You don't belong out there," Ashei whispered, her voice thick with tears she wouldn't let fall.

He smiled grimly at her. "Neither do grocers. Or pharmacists. Or fifteen year old boys," he responded, shaking his sandy, reddish hair out of his face. It was a habit of his, and Ashei found it absolutely adorable.

"Shad, your _condition_," she reminded him strongly.

When he was only a child, his parents noticed their sun's struggles with physical activity. He didn't learn to crawl until nine months. Learning to walk didn't happen until a year and a half. While other children were running around on the playground on endless supplies on energy, he tired quickly and would be gasping for air after a simple game of tag.

Upon taking him to the doctor, they discovered he had some sort of rare condition called supraventricular tachycardia by the old doctor. In Hylian, that meant his heart was weak and couldn't handle physical activity, which caused defibrillation and eventually his heart collapsing on itself. That and weak muscle development sealed Shad's fate forever. No gym, no sports, no running around.

Deflated by the news he had received, young Shad began to research his condition and scoured books for potential cures. He never found one, but he did find his passion for reading and studying, leading him to become a scholar and then a school teacher.

"My condition doesn't make a difference, Ash. I've been called on by the King, and I will serve him," he said simply.

She glared at him sharply. Damn his patriotism. "We have to do something! You'll die, Shad. You'll be slaughtered!" Ashei cried, her voice falling to a whisper. He let out a short laugh.

"Thanks for having faith, love."

"You know it as well as I do," she snapped, her temper flaring again.

Why him, why her Shad? She couldn't lose him. She couldn't. No one could make her feel like he did. No one could reduce her, the tough, sassy Ashei, into a giggling mess of butterflies. But he could. And all he had to do was smile that shy smile of his.

"Of course I know it, Ash! Of course I do! But I really don't want to think about it," he said, tears brimming in his eyes now.

Ashei strode over to his desk and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing her head on his shoulder. He ran his fingers through her long, black hair, which was out of its usual braid and flowed free down her back.

"I don't want to die, Ashei."

"You won't! You won't!" she whispered in his neck.

She'd do anything so he wouldn't have to go. Anything. She'd even fight the Dark King herself if it meant Shad didn't have to go to war.

Fight.

She'd.

She'd fight.

She could fight.

"Shad!" she cried, pulling back from his neck. "Shad, I'll go!"

He blinked once. "What?"

"I'll fight for you, I'll take your place!" she said again, gaining excitement. "I'll disguise myself as you, it'll be easy as pie-"

"Absolutely not! No! Not only is that extremely illegal, but I am not letting you fight in a war! You'd get hurt, and what if I lost you... No. Absolutely not," he said firmly, his eyes burning fiercely.

"Shad, I know how to handle myself, I-"

"No Ashei! I can't let you! I can't lose you!" he shouted. He pulled her back into a hug and lowered his voice. "I can't."

She closed her eyes and soaked in the embrace, and for a moment the only sound heard was the ticking of the clock. She wanted to remember this, the way he smelled of clean cotton and the ocean, the way he held her tight in his warm arms.

"I'm leaving tomorrow," he told her, speaking into her hair. "I'm leaving to accompany his Highness on his journeys to the Courts of Hyrule to ensure their war preparations are running smoothly. I'll be gone for a week and back for the war."

_He's missing training. Another reason for him not to go._

"While I'm gone, I need you to promise me that you won't be rash and try to take my place."

"Of course, Shad," she said easily, the lie rolling off her tongue.

"Ashei," he pulled away so he could look into her eyes. "Promise?"

_I'm sorry, Shad, I can't make that promise..._

"I promise."


	35. Chapter 34

**Look at me, writing a chapter without publishing depressing one-shots! Someday I'll have to publish a happy one, just to show that I can. Also my updates will probably be farther and fewer between, as I am in school now, getting my ye olde high school education, and I am damn busy. It's crazy how much work I have and I barely get time to write this! And these chapters I have to think more about the deeper emotions and blah, blah, long rant short, sorry for what may be longer waits between updates.**

**Thanks a billion and three to NineTails627, sym spydey, Dazel, StattStatt, devilmania67, NekoRose26, LauParisi, The First of the Nentari, NeonGreenSheep, zeldax, pyrosavvy5, Stripesdatiger, Insane. Certifiably, Allieo, Sheikagal, Farore64, Jupsi, Rinni Love, Kamil the Awesome, Not-Alone-Anymore, and ShadowNinja1011 for your reviews. They seriously make my day and fill my heart with rainbows. Thank you all so very much. Treat yourselves to a milkshake or something! :)**

**Also, go check out The Legends of Hyrule: Foresight of the Blind by The Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and The Wondrous Adventures of the Righteous Maximus by Split Infinitive. Both are amazingly fantastical. And Insomnia and The Back of the Bar by tikitikirevenge are phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. Another recommendation, I Know What You Are, But What Am I? by zelda3469. Check these out!**

**~Leila**

**I have decided this whole thing will probably be long. I mean, we're getting closer to my end, but I don't know how many chapters I'll stretch the war over, and there's other twists I'm still working through, but yeah. I hope novel-length is alright with all of you delightful people.  
><strong>**_ALSO_ I merged chapters twelve through sixteen together, therefore subtracting four chapters from the total count! Nothing was deleted or anything like that!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 35 (Link)<p>

My footsteps echoed loudly on the pavement, my strides long and purposeful, my mind set only on my destination. The streets of Skyloft City were deserted as usual, leaving me the only person on the multicolored road.

I was goddessdamned pissed, to put it lightly. I was livid, I was furious, angry, bitter, enraged.

They told me Aryll would be there. I was promised Aryll would be there.

And what did I find? An evil Zelda, a giant skeleton that almost squished me like an ant, no Aryll, and a damned Light Spirit who tells me that not only was Aryll never going to be waiting for me, but that I have to go through two challenging and most likely life-threatening trials just to get a _map_ to find her. Words can't describe the damn _fury _I'm feeling right now.

I let out a strangled, angry grunt as I stormed down the street, passing row upon row of colorful houses with ornately carved doors. None of them were the house I was looking for.

_Link, do you wish to talk about-_

"No, I don't wanna talk!" I snapped.

_You have this awful habit of keeping your feelings cooped up inside you. It's really not healthy. Also, I can read your mind anyway so it doesn't really matter to me._

"You can read my mind? Wait what?"

_Mmhm. I know all about the way you sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in an opera voice in your head when you walk._

"Y-You do? W- How... No I don't!" I protested, my face flushing as I slowed my pace a bit.

_I'm actually kidding, I can't read minds._

"Oh thank Nayru!" I sighed.

_Just your mind, but I don't need to, to hear this. It's always nice and out loud._

I stopped walking all together, and I'm sure my face was as red as a pit of hot Eldin lava. I opened and closed my mouth for a minute, struggling to find a witty comeback, but all I managed was,

"I hate you. More than green beans."

_Mm, shame. I'm growing quite fond of you, you're fun to push around._

"I wish you wouldn't push me around. My ego gets hurt," I whined.

_You don't have to be embarrassed. I once knew a boy who sang 'My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean' while he traveled._

I stifled a laugh, and a small smile crept on to my face. It faded as a question pervaded my mind.

"Who else have you traveled with? Who the heck even are you?"

There was a moment of pause, and all you could here were the far-off screeches of Loftwings flying high above our heads. She seemed to be thinking her answer over carefully, analyzing her every word.

_I have traveled with many, and spoken with few. My orders have changed over time. First, I was to guide the Hero of Sky. For many, many years I was to reside here and imprison the evil spirit known as Demise. And now I am here. You may call me Fi._

Fi. The name rang through my head, and I saw fleeting images of a young girl with blue hair and a woman wearing a flowing blue and purple dress. Fi.

"So what is your mission now?" I asked quietly.

_To talk to you. The goddess contacted me and asked me to keep you company while you traveled, to save you from your own head._

I nodded, but didn't answer. My pace was a slow stroll now as I thought about all of this. To save me from my own head. Basically she was awakened to keep me from going crazy. And now that I think about it, her snide comments and idle chit-chat has been the only thing I've had to hold on to for all this time. First it was Zelda. And when she was gone, I started to go insane. Until the voice that called herself Fi began talking to me. Then I was able to collect the shards of my sanity and carry on.

Walking on, my thoughts continue to race around my head until it hurt.

_Hey, hold up there, Hero. You have arrived at your destination, _Fi told me softly.

Stopping, blinking my thoughts away, I found myself facing Koume and Kotake's little cottage. Pleasant petunias grew in red painted flower boxes, and their garden was neat without a leaf out of place or a weed in sight. I could already hear them through an open window, bickering away.

"I _told _you to put two cups of white sugar in the mixture! Two cups! What do you put in? Two _tablespoons! _Honestly, it's no different from potions, I don't see why you can't-"

"Maybe I would do better if you weren't constantly screaming at me! I can barely think over all your constant yelling! It's 'blah, blah, blah, sugar, cups, Kotake is stupid, blah, blah,' all the time! I'm sick of it!"

"Oh, it's _me _who's yelling all the time! Maybe your hearing aids need to be fixed because it is definitely _you _who is yelling!"

"Because you _broke _my hearing aids! You stepped on them like they were a quarter on the sidewalk!"

"I _told _you, Mittens did it!"

"And I _told _you, a cat can't shatter a plastic false eardrum!"

I barely heard the argument as I trudged through their well-groomed lawn, a sudden exhaustion taking hold. My eyelids fought to close, and I struggled to keep them open. Feeling a little like a zombie, I managed to drag myself up the small back porch and rap on the back door. Their yelling ceased immediately, dropping to an agitated hiss.

"Get the door!"

"No, you get the door, I have to salvage my pie crust!"

"Oh, you're salvaging now! Because it's so ruined!"

"Like you wouldn't act the same way if I put three pinches of woundwort into a blue potion instead of three!"

"You insolent cowswap! There is no woundwort in blue potion!"

After a few muttered curses and the bang of pots and pans, I heard a shuffling and the turn of a doorknob, opening to reveal the kind face of Kotake looking up at me.

"Link! Dearie me, you came back! Oh, do come inside, it's cold out there, don't want you getting sick. We should have Koume get you a sweater, and oh! Dear, you're cut up here! Need to heal that, yes we will, and Koume! Look who's here," she chattered, ushering me gently inside the warm kitchen.

I stumbled in dumbly, still overcome by my sudden urge to collapse on the floor snoring, and met the flaming eyes of Koume, who was covered in flour.

"If it isn't our Hero! Link! You're back soon, how're you doing, kid?" she asked, wiping her hands on her skirt and smiling a kind, grandmotherly smile.

How am I doing? I blinked.

_How _are_ you doing, Link?_

"I-I..." the words seemed to die in my throat.

Suddenly there were tears in my eyes and my knees were too weak to hold me. I sank to the wooden floor of the kitchen and broke down sobbing, tears spilling between my fingers and splashing in neat puddles on the oak floorboards.

"Link!" Koume and Kotake were soon by my side, like two vultures flocking to a leftover corpse.

"S-she wasn't t-there! They said she would b-b-be there!" I howled pitifully, my shoulders shaking with every breath I took.

I curled my hands into fists, digging my nails into my palms, feeling a sharp sting. A small trickle of blood ran down my wrist and dripped onto my already stained tunic. Another drop in the ocean I've created.

"Who, dearest?" Kotake asked gently as she pried open my fist, wiping away the blood with her sleeve.

"My s-sister Aryll!" I wailed, sniffling and wiping my nose on the back of my sleeve. "My only sister Aryll!"

As the world 'Aryll' left my lips, I watched as their eyes flickered towards each other, blue meeting brown, and then they were back on me, filled with sympathy, yet the sympathy masked a knowingness that burned brightly like a flame. It was a quick, simple motion, but it was enough for me to tell. They know something.

"Let's get off the kitchen floor, and then we can talk, alright dearest?" Koume suggested.

Nodding weakly, I allowed them to help me off the floor and guide me into a kitchen chair. Kotake muttered something to Koume, who nodded and returned to puttering around the kitchen, then came to sit next to me, placing a hand over mine.

"I know how it feels to have that one person to hold on to. Siblings have a special bond, and I am so sorry you have to be separated for so long," she told me, looking deep into my eyes. "But like you play the role of the Hero, your sister has her own special part to play in all of this. You will meet again, but it might be a little while."

Tears pooled in my eyes again, and I felt my bottom lip tremble slightly. "That isn't fair! The old fart at the Temple of Time said sh-she'd be at the springs!" I cried, biting my lip to keep the tears from falling.

"Ah, yes, Rauru. I hate to tell you this, dear, but he knew you wouldn't see her. He knew you would be motivated at the thought of finding your sister and told you she would be at the springs. That man is notorious for giving false hope to Heroes."

He lied. The damn bastard lied, he lied to me, he lied to me, everyone lies...

"You will see your sister, yes, I promise, but you must overcome the Trials first," Kotake told me.

Koume now joined us, juggling three mugs of what looked like some sort of tea. She made sure to give me the green mug, and sat down next to Kotake. Tears were falling down my cheeks now, tears of rage, confusion, anger... One splashed into my beverage, mingling with the creamy liquid.

"What are the Trials?" I demanded. "Tell me, I want to do them now!"

"Link, why don't we take a break and we'll tell you when you're in a better state of mind," Koume suggested quietly.

"No!" I screamed. Suddenly, a red-hot rage burned in my heart. I needed to see Aryll. I needed her _now__. _"No, no, no!"

"Link-"

"I've been through too damn much to be told no! I've been through too much! I was almost drowned by a huge squid, almost eaten by a dragon! I was almost possessed bysome sort of singing she-witch, forced to see my parents' m-murderer, had to shoot a giant spider. The girl I loved tried to kill me, she's out for my blood and wants to kill me, and the only thing I have left is my little sister who's out there by herself without me and I just want to see her!" I sobbed hysterically.

Every part of me shook with hysteria, and tears blurred my vision. I can't do this, I can't, I'm losing my mind, I'm going insane...

"No! I need my sister! I need Aryll!" I wailed, falling from the chair and to my knees on the floor.

I stood up and began to run for the door, hell-bent on finding the only person I want, the only person I need. My blonde sand crab, my Captain Aryll. The girl with the red telescope. The girl who fed the seagulls. Who would play me the harp, who would snuggle me at night, who wore footie pajamas in the middle of summer.

"Aryll!"

_Link, you need to calm down. You're tired, your upset, you're confused. You need to rest._

Ignoring the advice of the voice calling herself Fi, I continued to run through Koume and Kotake's yard, and onto the streets.

Aryll, Aryll, where are you?

I saw a flash of blue out of the corner of my eye, but I was only focused on running, on finding Aryll. Where was she? I needed her now! I ran and ran, and suddenly my foot snagged on something, and I went flying, falling, falling... Straight into someone's arms. They hugged me close as I cried.

"Shh, Link," the mystery person whispered.

The last thing I remembered before passing out were a pair of familiar blue eyes, looking down at me...

* * *

><p><em>Hey, Link? Can you hear me? It's Aryll, Link. A good friend of mine told me you weren't doing so well. So I just want to let you know that I'm always here with you. Always. I'll be with you through it all. I always have been. You've done so well, you're almost there. I'll see you soon, okay Linky? I promise. I'm alright, you're alright, we're alright. Chin up, buttercup, I'll see you soon...<em>

My eyes snapped open.

"Aryll?" I whispered, scanning the room for a certain smiling blonde. But she was nowhere to be seen.

I was back on the mattress in Koume and Kotake's living room, my equipment in a neat pile on the floor and my tunic folded and clean. A lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it quickly.

_Always._

Biting my lip, I sat up and grabbed the undershirt and chain mail, yanking both on before pulling the green tunic over my head. What happened? Did I fall asleep? I don't remember going to bed.

Dragging myself out of bed, I walked into the cheery kitchen, finding Koume and Kotake sitting at the kitchen table. Clutching coffee mugs, their faces looked grim. Swallowing nervously, I walked over to join them.

"Good morning," Koume deadpanned, not looking up from her drink.

"Good morning," I said cautiously, pulling a chair out. The kitchen was different today. No sun shone in through the windows; dark clouds obscured most natural light and provided a melancholy lighting.

"Are you feeling better?" Kotake inquired.

"What do you mean?"

They looked at each other, and Koume opened her mouth to speak, but Kotake gave a subtle shake of her head and she fell silent.

"Nothing, dearest. You were simply tired. Now, why don't we get you some breakfast. We have much to talk about, and you have a long day ahead of you," Kotake sighed, scraping her chair back and shuffling over to a pan on the stove.

"You have some choices to make today, Link," Koume said gravely. "The path before you is not an easy one, but it is a short one. You are almost there."

"Almost where? Stop speaking in fortune-cookie talk, I get enough of that with Fi!" I told them.

Kotake managed a weak smile as she set a plate of eggs down before me. "She's certainly got some fire in her, hasn't she?"

I nodded as I took up my fork and shoved a pile of scrambled eggs in my mouth. They looked at me, but not directly at me. It was almost as if they were looking through me, straight into my soul and beyond. Needless to say, it didn't make me feel any less uneasy.

"Your sister is heading to the Triforce Realm. You will need to meet her there," Koume finally said, breaking the loud silence.

"How do I get there?"

"Ah, there's the catch," Kotake said. "No one knows where it is."

I blinked. "So how the hell am I supposed to meet her there?"

"You'll need to obtain two map pieces detailing the route to the Realm," Koume told me. "To get these map pieces, you need to successfully complete two Trials set for you by the goddesses. These Trials are never easy and are taxing both mentally and physically."

I nodded slowly. "Alright. Where are these Trials? What are they?"

Koume produced my map and layer it out flat on the table. After a moment of searching, she finally circled a small patch of land right next to Kakariko. City of Shadows. Thereafter, Kotake grabbed the pen from her sister and began scanning the western coast. She finally placed an X on the last place in Hyrule I ever wanted to go to. Outset Island.

"The Trials are located here and here. Before we explain them, can you go retrieve your sword pleas?" Kotake asked.

I frowned, but stood up anyway. "Um, why?"

"We want to make sure Hylia's Maiden, Fi, hears this so she can tell you again before you undergo the Trial, just so you know exactly what you're doing," Koume explained. "She has an excellent memory."

"Of course she does."

After grabbing my sword, still sheathed in its scabbard, I placed it on the table.

"You listening, sweetheart?" I asked.

_'Sweetheart,' is it now? That escalated quickly. Before yesterday, you didn't even know my name._

"Yeah, she's present, punctual, and ready to hear whatever the heck you have to say," I said, ignoring her.

"Why don't you come out, Fi? I'd feel less senile talking to you rather than the sword," Koume chuckled.

"Ha, that's a joke! 'Feeling less senile,' ha!" Kotake laughed, jabbing her sister in the ribs.

Koume was about to reply, probably with words not suitable for children, when my sword was illuminated bright blue. The blue shot up the blade, then concentrated in the hilt; light so bright it stung to look at. Then, it separated from the sword entirely and took shape as a human. A girl human.

She was tall, probably taller than me, and she was blue. Her skin was all a pale blue, almost like a robin's egg. Her hair was also blue and cut short, framing her face. She wore a purple dress and tights, and a cape flowed out behind her. But what caught my attention were her eyes. They were those blue eyes I had seen twice before.

"..._Fi_?" I asked, dumbfounded. This girl was the mysterious voice I had been talking to?

"Fiona, actually, but we won't get technical," she said.

Her face was completely blank, devoid of all emotion. It was fixed in a neutral expression, without even the barest traces of any feeling at all. Her eyes were the same way, lacking any type of heart, shining with only physicality.

"Stop staring," she snapped, her face not changing. "Is there something on my face? Because you've got dirt on yours."

I grinned. "Yup, still the same old Fi. Glad to see you're still an ass."

"And you're still an immature, angry teenage boy who lets his emotions cloud his rationale. Times haven't changed," she said, walking, no gliding over to stand, no float, behind me.

"Yes, and now that we have established this, I need you both to listen closely," Koume said anxiously. "We'll start with the Trial in Kakariko. There are Trial Gates, if you will, that will allow you to enter the realm in which the Trials take place in. This particular Trial Gate is in Kakariko Graveyard and takes place within the Realm of the Dead."

"To obtain the piece of the map, you need to navigate the Realm and find two spirits. You know them well. They will hold the map you seek, but be warned. As soon as you take the map from the spirits, the entire Realm will turn against you. You cannot be touched by them, you cannot speak to them, you cannot give into their words. If you do any of those things, all will be lost. You will have failed the Trial, and for this particular Trial, there are no redoes," Kotake told me solemnly.

Swallowing hard, I nodded. I had a sinking feeling I knew which spirits held the map.

"The second Trial takes place on Outset Island. This one, however, is an interesting one," Kotake said. "It takes place within the Realm of your mind, and draws from your memories. Within whichever memory it selects, you must obtain the map piece, but you cannot change the memory."

"For example," Koume interjected, "If the Realm selected a memory of a friend drowning, and the map was floating on some driftwood near the friend, you can't help your friend. You have to be strong and get the map, otherwise you'll be forced to do it again and relive that memory until you succeed."

My heart was pounding now, and I was digging my nails into the wooden chair. "...I see."

"These are your Trials. Once completed, you will know the way to the Triforce Realm and can make your way there to meet your sister. I suggest you leave soon, as time is running out. The Dark King is growing ever closer to obtaining his goal, and we can't let that happen," Kotake told me.

"I should leave now, then, shouldn't I?" I said, pushing away from the table, causing Fi to float to the side.

"Not quite," Koume murmured. "Unfortunately, Link, a Hero's work only grows harder. We have another task to burden you with, if you choose to accept it."

"What is it?" I asked cautiously. More work? More responsibility, more things to do?

"The Dark King is preparing to wage war on the Kingdom of Hyrule. Luckily, it will not be a surprise and the Kingdom is preparing. However, we have been gifted a prophecy from the goddesses," Koume said in the same way a person might have said, 'I got an email from Bob down the street, he wants us to watch his cat while he's on a cruise.'

"Hyrule will lose," Kotake told me. "Hyrule will lose unless you are there."

"Wait, what? How am I supposed to be there? I also have to be at the Triforce Realm! Are you sure you didn't misinterpret your little revelation?" I suggested.

"No. Link, Hyrule will perish if you aren't at the Triforce Realm. And the Kingdom will be slaughtered if you aren't there to fight in the war," Koume replied.

"Well what the hell! The goddesses are kind of setting me up for failure here, aren't they? It's not like I can be in two places at once!" I yelled angrily.

The room fell silent, and Koume and Kotake looked at each other. Again. Shit, I hate when they do that.

"Right? Once person can't physically be in two places at once..." I trailed off uncertainly.

"But two people can," Fi spoke quietly.

"Yes, thank you, genius, but I'm not two people!" I snapped.

"But you can be," Kotake uttered softly.

"For Din's damn sake, what the hell are you all talking about and not telling me?" I cried.

"Link, there is a spell that will allow you to become two in body but one in mind, meaning you'll have to control both halves with one conscious mind. It is very hard on the body and brain, however, Hyrule's fate rests on this choice. It's up to you Link. Will you become two, or stay one?"

The room grew silent, and Koume and Kotake looked at me expectantly. Fi seemed very occupied with staring at the floor. Shit. What kind of person would I be to say no? What kind of Hero lets his kingdom fall? Gritting my teeth, I looked out the window. A storm was brewing. Dark clouds were blown with the wind, and branches were whipped about in the gale. Sighing, I looked over at them again. What the hell do I have to lose, anyway?

_Your sanity._

"Well, I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't," I sighed, ignoring Fi's nice comment. "Sure. Go ahead. Do your little magic spell, and I'll be on my merry little way. Ways."

"You truly are a Hero, Link," Koume told me.

"Cut the mushy stuff, please."

Kotake cracked a small smile. "Hold still, Link. It might hurt, but it will only take a second."

The witches closed their eyes and began muttering an unidentifiable language, the speed of their chanting increasing the spell began to pick up. My hands began to glow, as well as my legs, and then the rest of my body. Suddenly, I couldn't move. It was as if the light was a shell, or a full body cast, locking me into place. The chanting continued, rising and falling in volume.

And suddenly, a sharp, intense, pain shuddered through my entire body. I would have screamed in agony if my mouth wasn't frozen shut. I felt like I was being ripped apart, limb by limb, molecule by molecule. Another wave of extreme agony coursed through me, and then it was done.

The glow subsided, and I could move again. Panting, I opened my eyes, though I didn't know I had shut them.

"Holy shit," I breathed. "That hurt like a mother."

Looking around, I saw Koume and Kotake weren't looking at me, but rather the boy standing next to them.

Me.

The other me. The me that was me, but wasn't me.

_Your dimidium._

I had a staring match with myself for a second, trying to comprehend the fact that that was indeed me, then I finally regained my composure and managed to speak.

"My ears are huge. Someone should have told me."

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><p><strong>Not my best, but review and tell me what you think. Also, I'm considering writing another fic during this one, a happy, fluffy one to save my sanity. Thoughts? Thanks guys!<strong>


	36. Chapter 35

**I just want to say two things. First, Link has a dimidium only because I want the people of Hyrule to know who he is and recognize him as a Hero. Not just Ikana, the whole land, which wouldn't happen because no one knows about the Triforce Realm or his quest to get there, so he's going to fight in the war. Second, I know Link is kind of mentally perturbed and unstable, but frankly, it's real life. This _is_ Reality, guys, and though I'll try to lighten it up in-between, whenever a major event happens he'll probably be a little depressed/have a breakdown/whatever.**

**Thank you so much to LEva114, Stripesdatiger, Time's Quill (thanks for all the reviews!), devilmania67, The First of the Nentari, Kamil the Awesome, Jupsi, Allieo, Katia0203, Wolfboy, blacksunset1214, sym spidey, zeldax, and Insane. Certifiably for reviewing! It means a lot! But the average number dropped last chapter... Sorry if you guys didn't like it... I can't believe I did the math for the average number... Wow...**

**ALSO! I published a fluffy, non-depressingly sad/disturbing one-shot! It's called This Lullaby, it was requested by a reviewer! Hey, I'm on the internet and this is crazy, but I'm excited about this so read it maybe? Oh Lord. I'm tired.**

**~Leila**

**Thank you for reading my rant, and hope you like this one better! It isn't necessarily happy, but no mental breakdowns... Also, I'm very impressed with any of you still reading from the beginning! I went back to edit, and almost died from cardiac arrest! It's like two different stories, all fluffy and horrible and then BAM! Depressing and dark. Anyway, read on! I'm such a rambler.  
>The song I use later is called "Hushabye Mountain" <strong>**from _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang._ Weird movie, beautiful song. We're singing it in elite choir.**

**If you want to hear it, look it up on YouTube, Dick van Dyke sings it, and its wonderful, or when I was looking up the choral arrangement we're doing, I found a good group called the Grove Singers that does a fantastic job. Either way gives me chills!**

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><p>Chapter 35 (Zelda)<p>

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, craning my head to see my bare back. There, engraved forever and ever in my flesh, was my punishment for escaping. A 'Z', etched into my back.

It could be Z for anything. Zelda, zebra, zero, zephyr... Zant...

_"This way you'll never forget,"_ he had whispered. _"Memories fade, but scars never will..."_

Shuddering at the thought, I pulled the back of my dress up again, hiding the angry red scars from view. The fresh cuts on my pale skin stood out like crimson roses on the bleak snow.

I turned and shuffled back up the stairs. Though he may have tried to teach me a lesson, I'm not going to give up. I will escape, I will find a way out. So despite the scars, I'm trying again today.

The guard entered my humble little cell with lunch just as I reached the top of the stairs. Without so much as a word, he set the tray on my bed and walked out quickly like I had some sort of contagious disease.

"Thanks for hostilely shoving me food like I'm some animal! Really, I appreciate it!" I called out just before the door slammed shut, leaving me alone.

I smirked. Perfect.

Looking at the platter piled with fruits and cheeses, I grabbed a slice of cheddar and a grape, shoving them both in my mouth before walking over to the bookcase. It was harder to see now, as Zant kindly had the window removed, and the room was only illuminated by the flickering orange flames of the fire.

Pressing down on the Triforce engraving, the bookcase slid to the side once again. Smiling, I began making my way down the stairs again. This time, I'm going down the dungeon path. The other way didn't work so well last time.

Feeling my way down the wall, I finally came to the illuminated crossroad. Taking a deep breath, I continued on, following the path that would lead me to the dungeons. Perhaps I could find a way out through there.

The air temperature was dropping considerably as I walked. It was colder, wetter, and several drips landed on my head. Shuddering, I continued on, hoping the tunnels would end soon.

I began humming to myself to pass the time. This was a habit I had only just recently developed. My days were long, and I had finished all the books on the bookshelf. The window is gone, and the only thing I have left to save myself from insane boredom is singing and humming. sing everything from childhood ditties to lullabies to the dirty songs on the radio. One of the books on the shelf is an actual songbook, and I've been teaching myself the old ballads and dirges.

Though I sing to keep myself from going insane, I swear I'm insane already. I've begun to hear singing at night, a female soprano singing old Zora melodies. And if that isn't insanity, I don't know what is.

Now, I was humming my favorite lullaby as a child. My father would always sing it to me, and said his mother sang it to him. It was a beautiful song, one called Hushabye Mountain. I used to get chills from the beautiful notes my father would sing.

My father. Tears stung my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. Where is he now? What is he doing? Is he looking for me, never stopping? Maybe he's close? The thought of my father coming to rescue me was comforting.

I quickly changed songs to a jazzy tune from a musical. My hope is unrealistic. I can't be thinking like that. The only rescuing I'll be getting will be done by myself.

My fingertips that had been grazing the rough wall alongside me suddenly met a corner, and feeling ahead, I found a wooden wall before me. Smiling, I groped for some sort of handle or break in the wood, anything that would allow me to open it. Quickly finding a cold metal handle, I grasped it and pushed forward.

Instantly, a foul, musty smell greeted my nostrils, and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Breathing through my mouth and acting as silently as possible, I jumped down from the passage and quietly shut the wood panel. It blended into the wall quite nicely.

Being sure to be on my guard, I scanned the dark dungeons. As far as I could see, it was empty. There were no guards in sight, and there were only a few hulking shadows looming in corners. Tables, I guess.

The only route of escape I could distinguish was a grated window on the other side of the room, providing meager light for the dank prison. Making my way over to the window, I stood on my tiptoes to peer out of it.

It was reassuring to see the light of day again, however, the sight outside was not hopeful in terms of escape. The window looked out onto the main road out of the fortress.

A round of guards was just marching out of the drawbridge while another was marching in. There were armed guards with crossbows watching closely from above.

I frowned. I know I can break the bars with magic. But how can I get out unseen? Perhaps I can turn myself invisible... That will give me something to work on during the day. All that's left will be to watch and time when they change guard.

I can do this. This actually seems possible. A wide, goofy grin spread across my face, and I giggled in spite the fact that I was fantasizing about escaping while standing in a fortress dungeon.

Turning to return to my room, I froze up as I heard a muffled voices and quiet sobbing.

"Quit yer sniveling. It's givin' me a 'eadache," a man's voice growled as the dungeon door was thrown open. A yellowish light suddenly flooded the room, and I pressed further up against the wall, praying I wouldn't be seen.

Two dirty prison guards entered the room, roughly leading a bedraggled woman by the arm. Shoving her roughly in one of the cell blocks, the first man slammed the door shut and gave the key a twist before shoving it back in the pocket of his ragged, muddy pants.

"Little wench," he spat. "Ya better do what 'e asks next time er there's a gon' be trouble."

"She's dead a'ready," the second man cackled, shutting the door, closing off the light and leaving an echoing bang behind.

As soon as they left the woman began crying again. Her sobs resounded through the dark chamber, and a wave of pity washed over me. I was about to approach her, when she began to speak.

"Oh Mikau," she whispered. "Miky where are you? What's happening to me?"

My eyes widened. No. It can't be. I crept closer to be sure, holding my breath and crossing my fingers.

The woman was crouched down, holding her knees to her chest. She wore a torn white lacy dress and socks. Her hair fell down in dirty strips, framing her gaunt, but still recognizable face. Her violet eyes, aimed at the floor, once full of cheer, were the last give away.

"Lulu?" I whispered hoarsely.

She snapped to attention, looking up at me with eyes wide with fear.

"Who are you?" she hissed, backing away. "What do you want from me?"

"Lulu! It's me, Zelda! It's been awhile, I was a customer at your cafe..." I trailed off as tears accumulated in her eyes again.

"I remember you," she murmured, scooting back towards me. "You and that other boy. Link."

My throat tightened, and I nodded. "Yes, him. But oh, Lulu, what happened?" I cried, crouching down and taking her cold webbed hand through the bars.

A tear trickled down her cheek, and she let out a sob.

"I was walking to the grocery store to get some sauce for Mikau," she wailed. "He was making us a special dinner. I was taking a shortcut through an alley. And then, and-and then-" She was lost in a fit of hysteric sobbing. I pulled her into the closest thing to a hug I could manage through the bars and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"And then what, Lulu?" I whispered.

"And I met a Twili girl. Midna. His little lapdog," she said, regaining her composure.

"Whose lapdog?"

"_His_," she whispered, glancing around like she was afraid of saying his name.

"Zant's?" I asked her gently. She shook her head, and I frowned. "Whose, Lulu?"

She shook her head again, biting back tears. "She tricked me, and I was knocked unconscious by_ him_. When I woke up, I was here, and I've been here since," she sniffed.

Who is this man she is referring to? Is it the same man Zant calls "master?"

"What does this man want with you Lulu?" I questioned.

"I d-don't know! He calls me up to his throne room everyday, and the same t-thing happens every d-day," she disclosed, shivering in fear.

"He gives me my necklace and tells me to 'unlock it.' It's just a necklace, and I don't know what he wants!" she cried, hysteria rising. "He forces me to drink these disgusting potions and- and..." her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. "He's a wizard. I know it's crazy but he uses magic Zelda and I know I'm going crazy and one time, after he hurt me with his magic, I-I used magic too."

She began sobbing again, her tint figure shaking with each breath. "I'm going crazy, Zelda!" she wailed. "And I've been throwing up, and I'm starving and I've been really, really hungry for bananas!"

I nodded, squeezing her hand. "Do you want me to go get you food? I can get you a banana. Anything else you need, like feminine products?" I asked, forcing as much fake warmth and cheer into my voice for her benefit.

She shook her head. "Only food. I haven't needed any of those things lately," she told me.

"Alright. I'll be back soon, okay?" I said, turning to leave.

I was stopped as she suddenly gripped my arm tightly. I turned to face her and saw her eyes wide with terror.

"You promise?" she asked. "Promise you'll be back soon?"

I looked at her, straight in the eyes and smiled gently. "Of course. I promise."

_The Six Sages were six powerful beings that sealed away the Dark King with the aid of the Princess of Destiny. Each sage held a medallion as a proof of their authority and represented a different power from six elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Light, Shadow, and Spirit._

_"Unlock your necklace."_

That's it, I thought as I ran back down the passage leading to my room. That's what he wants. Whoever this man is, he wants Lulu to practice releasing the power of the Water Medallion. Lulu is the Water Sage.

Opening the bookshelf, I gabbed the three bananas off my plate of lunch and turned to run back down to the dungeon.

He's training her to use her magic so he can get into the Triforce Realm. And Midna is helping him.

Midna. Every time I hear her name, I can't help but cringe, because it fees like someone is driving a dagger deeper and deeper into my heart. I tell myself it isn't her, that she would never do that, but the reality of it is, she is doing those things. Maybe the evil was always in her and I just never saw it.

_No, she's your best friend. Best friends are forever, regardless of ups and downs, _a small part of me whispered.

Yeah, well best friends don't throw innocent women into dungeons and torture them into submission.

I arrived back at the wooden door, and cracking it open soundlessly, I scanned the dungeon for any guards or Midnas that might be lurking in the shadows. Luckily, the coast was clear and I slipped back into the dungeon with no problem.

"Here, I found a couple," I told her, handing her the bananas.

She tore the first open savagely and tore into it. She was so gaunt, this had to be the first good food she'd eaten in... Days? Weeks? Months, even? How long had she even been down here for? Then again, I couldn't tell you how long I'd been here. Too long, I'd say.

Lulu started the second banana, and sat on the floor to be eye-level with her.

"So you don't know why you're here?" I asked her.

She shook her head and swallowed her chunk of banana. "Nope. But they're all evil here, Zelda. I can tell you that. Not just kidnapping-murderer type evil, there's something bigger at play here," she said in a hushed voice before taking another bite of the yellow fruit.

"And you have a part in it," I whispered.

She seemed not to have heard me, she only sat in silence, chewing the last bit of banana and then peeling her last one.

"Why are you here, Zelda?" she whispered. "How do I know you're not on their side, that you're not just another thing he sent to mess with my head?"

I squeezed her hand through the bars and blinked away the few tears that had begun to form,

"I'm in the same boat you are, Lulu. I've been locked away upstairs. They need me too, but I found a way out and I'm trying to escape," I told her.

She squeezed my hand tighter, her nails digging into my skin.

"I'll get us out, Lulu," I whispered, my voice thick with tears that were now splashing on the cold stone floor.

"Promise?" she croaked.

"I promise."

* * *

><p>Ganondorf entered the small, windowless room silently, as quiet as any predator on their hunt. A fire was crackling still in the fireplace, only just beginning to die out.<p>

_She_ lay in her bed, in the middle of her dreams.

He walked over without a sound and knelt by her bed. Her blonde hair was arrayed like a halo around her head, and her lips were curved into a smile. His little girl was no longer a little girl anymore. She was a beautiful young woman.

Smiling with pride in spite of himself, he thought back to when she was barely seven years old.

He used to sing her lullabies and stroke her hair. She loved when he stroked her hair. Lullabies always helped her sleep, and when his song was over and he was ready to leave, she'd always grab his hand and turn to look at him sleepily.

_"I love you, Papa," _she'd always say with a small, tired grin.

_Stop it, _he scolded himself. _You're not making this any easier._

Taking a shaky breath, he began to pet the girl's hair. She stirred in her sleep slightly, causing him to tense up, and her smile widened. Relaxing, he resumed petting her hair, just like old times, and for the first time in a long time, he began to sing.

"A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain, softly blows o'er Lullaby Bay. It fills the sails of boats that are waiting, waiting to fly your worries away."

The fire dimmed, and the room was illuminated only by dying embers, casting odd shadows across the tower. He pulled a knife from its scabbard, the noise ringing through the room, and the blade glowing red like the fire.

"It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain, and your boat waits down by the quay. The winds of night, so softly are sighing. Soon they will sail your troubles to sea."

With a shaking hand, he brought the knife down closer to the girl's throat, his voice wavering as he did so.

"So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain. Wave goodbye to cares of the day. And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain sail far away from Lullaby Bay."

Cool metal of the blade was pressed to the girl's throat now. Her smile had faded, and her face seemed troubled. The man was shaking tremendously, struggling to keep the knife still against the girl's neck.

_His girl, his baby girl, his little angel his little girl..._

"A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain, sail far away, from Lullaby Bay..."

He froze for a moment, then his eyes widened and the knife fell out of his hand, clattering on the stone floor. Laying his head down on the bed, he began to cry, his body trembling with each breath he took.

"I'm sorry Zelda," he choked out. "I'm so sorry."


	37. Chapter 36

**Alright then. That last chapter took me forever to write, so I'm having an interlude before more depressing Link stuff. School sucks, guys. School. Sucks. And girl drama is suckier. If you're a guy, be thankful. If you're mad at each other, you might yell at each other once, then bro-hug it out. Not with girls. Not. At. All.**

**And guess what! I suddenly got this awesome idea for a book, and I've been working on that like crazy! Usually I don't get this excited about ideas, but I really am about this one!**

**Thanks to FlamingBorce, Kamil the Awesome, Kaiju Knight, TFotN, Time's Quill, sym spidey, zeldax, Dazel, Midnight Sound, xCrimsonLoftwingx, Allieo, Farore64, NineTails627, Guest, Katia0203, Rinni Love, Wolfboy, Insane. Certifiably, Jupsi, Morumotto-chi, erico637, Linkkkkxzeeldaa, and Shadowninja1011 for reviewing! It really makes me happy that you enjoy this, and Im sorry that the review thing is all screwed up because I combined chapters. Didn't think that would happen. Sorry, but it'll stop soon! And oh my Din, over 600 reviews! Oh my gosh, this is making my horrible week! Seriously, it was the best thing that happened all week, so thank you all, you wonderful people!**

**~Leila**

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><p>Chapter 36 (Sheik)<p>

"So do you have a girlfriend at home?"

My head snapped up, and I saw two blue eyes gazing up at me quizzically.

"What?"

"You heard me. Do you have a sweetheart back home? A female companion, a mate, a lady-friend?" Aryll asked with a giggle, twirling one of her braids and smiling at me brightly.

"Could you think of any more ways to say that?" I grumbled.

"Life partner, friend with benefits, intimate partner..."

"Shouldn't have asked that!" I laughed, throwing a handful of grass at her. "And yes, I do. Did. We hadn't been dating that long before... You know."

"Ooo, Sheiky has a beau!" she teased, winking at me then flopping onto the grass on her stomach. "Tell me about her. What's her name?"

"Midna. You might have met her before, I don't know, but she's wonderful," I sighed, thinking about the girl I left behind. Oh, now I sound like an old man.

What was she doing now? Was she even thinking about me? Maybe she's looking for me. Maybe she's cried every night I've been gone. Or maybe she doesn't care at all and is shacking up with some other guy.

"Well, I've known her since we were in kindergarten. But girls had cooties then, so that didn't matter. She stopped having cooties in probably sixth grade. Then she was cute. I dated other girls randomly over the years, but I made sure they were never serious. And Midna went from cute, to pretty, to drop dead on the floor gorgeous these past two years."

"This is so cute," Aryll murmured dreamily, smiling at me.

Rolling my eyes, I threw another bundle of grass at her before leaning back down to tear more of the spiky green plant. "Why do all girls think this kind of stuff is 'cute'? You're just lucky I'm telling you this stuff. It's not a manly thing to do," I informed her.

"Actually, I think a man that can talk about his feelings is a very manly," she said thoughtfully.

I snorted. "Yeah, because you as a ten year girl can judge that kind of thing."

"But me as an eight-hundred thousand year old goddess can. Trust me on that one, I'm pretty sure I've done a lot more in that area than you have."

I choked on air a little at that one. After a short coughing fit, I looked at her and found her to be standing with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow arched in the perfect sassy way.

"That is so weird," I finally said.

"What do you mean it's 'weird'? Haven't you ever slept with a girl?" she demanded.

My eyes bulged. "Uh, no! And _you've _been laid?"

She wrinkled her nose. "That's a crude way to put it, but Sheik, darling, I had five children," she told me, a smirk on her face, though her eyes showed she was not the least bit kidding.

"That's just weird to think about. Almost mind-boggling."

"How so? I think you're just jealous because I've been wedded and bedded before you," Aryll teased.

"Agh! Never say that again! Ever!" I groaned, closing my eyes and trying not to laugh. "If Link heard you say that, he'd die!"

"Yes, I know, which is why I'm talking to you and not Link," she told me with a grin.

"And then, he'd find a way to go back in time and brutally murder whoever you slept with," I continued, laughing a little.

"Well that would not work in his favor. Because my husband was his..." she began counting on her fingers. "Way-too-many-greats-too-count grandfather."

"What? So you're his sister and his... Way-too-many-greats-to-count... Grandma?" I asked.

"No, Aryll is his sister. Hylia is his ancestor. Aryll is just a ten year-old girl who is the vessel for Hylia's spirit," she corrected gently.

"That's honestly weird. So you were never really your own person? Aryll was never her own person?" I asked. "Have you always been Hylia, or did you recently possess her or whatever?"

"I'm not possessing! There was never any possessing!" she cried indignantly. "Possessing implies evil, and I'd argue to say I'm the complete opposite of that. It's a little complicated, though. I'm still Aryll, I'm me, but I have memories of the past. Our souls have been merged since my birth. I guess you could say I _am _the goddess, without all the divine powers."

"Alright," I nodded. "Still weird and complicated, but I guess I'll roll with it. You'll still always be Aryll Carstairs, my best friend's kid sister, to me," I told her, ruffling her hair and standing up to stretch.

We'll need to get moving again, we can only stay in one spot for so long before moving on.

"Don't call me kid."

"Or what? You'll sass me?" I said with a smirk. "You might be the goddess, but you're still a ten year old girl. I could easily pick you up and throw you into that river right there."

"Sheik, don't you dare," she said, backing away with wide eyes.

Grinning, I ran towards her and scooped her up, and swinging my arms like I was preparing to throw her.

"Sheik, don't!" she squealed. "It's probably cold and I don't want to get my dress wet!"

I continued to swing her, letting go briefly and catching her, causing her to shriek. Laughing, I set her back down and picked my Sheikah knife up off the ground and tying it my waist again.

"Chillax, Ary. I'm not going to toss the patron goddess of Hyrule into a rushing river. Now where's Navi, we need to go," I said, scanning the horizon for the tiny glowing fairy.

She said she was going off on "reconnaissance duty" an hour ago, and she still hasn't returned. If a fairy can have ADHD, Navi definitely does. Not like Teagan, who only needs to be snapped into focus every once in a while, but an extreme case that needs several pills a day.

"Nav," I called, careful not to speak too loudly. "Hey, Nav?"

Silence. I heard nothing from the petite fairy. Only the rush of the river and the occasional chirp from a bird. Looking towards Aryll, I saw her brow was knitted in confusion and her hands were clasped together tightly.

"I can't sense her," she murmured. "Another stronger aura is in the way..."

"Your Grace! Sheik!" came a sudden cry.

Whirling around, I saw Navi jetting towards us at full speed. She seemed alarmed.

"Nav, where the hell have you b-"

"Sheik, Aryll, run! Hide! They're coming! They're coming!"

* * *

><p>"Line up, soldiers!"<p>

Tetra jogged over to join the already forming line, standing as stiff and straight as she could possibly make her body. Heart pounding, she puffed out her bound chest while the captain, Viscen, passed by, his scrutinizing eyes passing right over her; not pausing or giving her any second glance. Letting out a breath of relief, she relaxed slightly as the captain continued down the line of soon-to-be soldiers.

When she was sure the captain was far down the line, she reached up to touch her choppy, newly-cut short hair. She had cut it the night before with kitchen scissors, snipping away piece by piece.

It scared her to see the pile of blonde hair on the floor. Tetra Windfall was gone, and Tetris was here to take her place.

Looking from side to side, she tried to act more like the two men next to her, hoping she could blend in more with all of the men who were actually legally there.

On her left was a fierce looking man from the Southern Swamp named Odolwa, who towered over every man in the line. Odolwa honestly scared her and only made her cower more.

On her right is a man named Shad, but not her teacher. That was Shad Skylotan, this was Shad _Skilotian_. There had been some trouble earlier as the man insisted they had spelled his name wrong on the draft letter. His face was neutral and didn't give away any emotion he might have been feeling.

Tetra sighed deeply. It was her fault she had gotten into this, she reminded herself, and she needed to face the consequences like a man. No pun intended. It was this or go to jail for all of eternity.

"Atten-_tion_!"

She snapped to immediate attention as the captain spoke, standing as straight and stiff as a board.

"Let's begin here, shall we ladies?" he growled, scowling at the line of assembled men and boys. "I want to set a few rules here. First, you will sleep and eat in the soldiers barracks and train out in the training grounds. There will be no leisurely perusing around the castle gardens! Second! No crying or sniveling. You're soldiers, not little girls!"

She tried not to wince.

_But I _am _a little girl, Captain..._

"Third! You will address me as Captain or 'sir'! Don't call me Viscen. I am not your friend, I am your captain! Fourth, I expect you be on your best behavior. Any fights or destruction of castle property will result in punishment. And trust me, you won't like my punishments. And last of all."

He stopped pacing back and forth and looked down the row. Silence hung over the men like a huge woolen blanket. When he finally spoke again, his voice was much softer, but twice as stern.

"Last, I need the best from each and every one of you. I need your best. Your family needs your best. The king needs your best. _Hyrule_ needs your best. I know this is a sudden thing. I know that times are hard. I have two little girls of my own. You all have something to hold onto. Be it a wife or girlfriend, your children, your parents, your friends, or even the land you live in. _Believe _in it. _Fight _for you. And give me nothing less than you would give them."

Images of her dad, Agitha, Midna, Zelda, and Roy all flashed through her head. _They're the reason I'm here. Actually, Ilia is. But they're the ones I'm fighting for._

"Now, let's make us an army!"

The men raised their fists in the air and gave a might yell. A roaring yell that filled the training grounds. And Tetra found herself yelling with them, making her voice as masculine as she possibly could.

_For my dad. For my friends. For Tetra. For Hyrule._

o0o0o0o0o0o

(Ashei)

After Viscen's nice little pep talk, he split us all up into pairs and spread us out over the grounds. I was paired with a little squirt named Tetris, who can't be more than sixteen. He had been pale and shaky all afternoon, but after Viscen's speech, he seemed to be slightly reassured. At least until we were given swords. Then he began trembling all over again, regarding the weapon as if it were death itself.

Taking up my own sword, I felt a lot better. Sword fighting had been part of my childhood over in Snowpeak. My dad was a guard captain in charge of patrolling the mountains. In his spare time, he used to teach me the way of the sword and set me in sparring matches with my sister, Kina. I was always the winner, and I got better and better, until he was killed by a Yeti when I was eleven.

After that, we moved from Snowpeak and to Hyrule, where my mother got a job teaching. I still practiced the sword occasionally, but by then I had begun training in gymnastics, and fencing was put on hold.

Two years later, my mother was offered a job as a Royal Advisor, one year before the Advisory Council was taxed with the job of untangling the web of problems of the Princess Crisis. She accepted, and our little family of three was moved to the castle.

Now that the extensive training grounds and new weapons were available to me, I took up a blade again.

On one particular day, after gymnastics when I was working vigorously on perfecting my ending blows, a baseball came sailing over the hedge separating the training grounds from a wide open field and hit the wall only inches from my face. Extremely angry, I grabbed the ball and crashed through the hedges, ready to pound the first person I saw.

That person happened to be a gangly ginger-haired boy with glasses, sitting on a bench and reading. Furious, I had grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him closer to my face.

_"Hey, Four-Eyes, you throw this?" I demanded, holding up the baseball._

_"N-no I promise, I didn't!" he squeaked._

_"Oh." I dropped him back on the bench and looked at the ground, mildly embarrassed. "Well, sorry. For threatening you, and calling you Four-Eyes, yeah?"_

_"No worries," he said with a small, lopsided grin. "I'm Shad. What's your name? I've never seen you around here before."_

_"Ashei. Don't wear it out, yeah? I snapped, wondering why this boy wasn't walking away or, at the very least, cowering._

_"Ashei. I like that," he said. "It's different._

_"Well so is Shad!"_

_"I never said it wasn't," he pointed out._

_"Hmph. Well, I think it's weird. It's like they misspelled 'Chad' on your birth certificate."_

_"Whatever you say, Ashei. And, I am sorry about the baseball," he mumbled._

_There was a pause._

_"Who did throw that, by the way?"_

He had pointed at a blonde boy of eleven, and soon thereafter I punched the Prince of Hyrule, Matthew Daphnes Link Nohansen Hyrule, square in the face. That was a hard one to explain.

Grinning at the memory, I looked down at Tetris again. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I smiled reassuringly at him.

"Hey, kid, keep your chin up, yeah? The war hasn't started yet."

He shrugged, his eyes still cast on the ground.

"I'm scared," he mumbled. "I have no idea how I'm going to do this. I'm going to die."

"If you say you will, then you are. Quit that attitude, it'll get you no where. The name's Shad, by the way. Shad Skilotian," I told him, extending my hand, trying to put aside my general indifferences with people for the sake of this poor kid.

I knew I couldn't play Shad, as too many people in the castle know his face and would instantly be able to tell that I was not the fair-haired advisor. So I decided to make a big scene that they misspelled my name on the draft, and that I was Shad Skilotian, a man recently moved here from Skyloft City. The ploy worked, and thus my new identity was created.

"I'm Tetris Windfall," the kid said, shaking my hand lightly. I had to force myself not to wipe my hand on my pants as soon as our hands parted. This kid is sweating up a monsoon!

"Charmed."

Captain Viscen began to bark out orders and drills, first instructing the men with no experience how to hold a sword properly.

"Balance," he told them enthusiastically, repositioning a man's hand around the hilt of his broadsword. "It's all about balance in this. You want to be able to hold your sword in only one hand to have the second free for defense, and you don't want to be holding too tight or too loose. You have to find that perfect balance!"

Tetris fumbled clumsily with his blade, fingers fumbling to clasp the blade. Rolling my eyes, I plucked the blade from his grasp and repositioned it in the kid's hand.

"Keep a full fist on it. Wouldn't want it falling out of your hand mid-swing, yeah?" I told him.

He stared at me, his dark eyes scrutinizing my every move.

"Is there something on my face?" I final demanded, glaring at the boy.

"How can you be so calm?" he asked. "In the middle of all this chaos, it barely seems to faze you. How are you so calm?"

This caught me by surprise.

"I- Well, I'm not here without a motive. I know that might make no sense, but I'm here fighting for someone I love. And all I have to hold on to is that I _will _make it out because I have to see them again. We all need to do that, I think. We all need someone to fight for."

I wasn't sure where those words came from, I'm not usually the deep-speech person, but they seemed to work wonders on Tetris' nerves. He seemed to relax tremendously, and repositioned his hand so he had a stronger grip on his sword. I noticed now his gaze was locked on a redheaded boy who was sparring with a member of the current army.

He soon looked away, though, and met my eyes again.

"Right. Someone worth fighting for," he repeated.

_"Is it really worth fighting for, Ash?" Shad sighed, offering me his hand and helping me stumble to my feet._

_"Of course it is! You heard what he called you, I wasn't just going to let him-"_

_"Let him what? 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'. So I got called names. Life goes on. But now you had to go throw yourself in the middle of it, and now you have a bloody nose and maybe a black eye!" he snapped, crossing his arms._

_"But it's worth it, because now they'll leave you alone. If you find something to fight for, fight for it. Wouldn't you?" I demanded._

_"If the opportunity presented itself, then yes, I would."_

_"Then why the hell are you arguing with me about this, you-"_

_And suddenly his lips were on mine, and I never got to finish that sentence._

I don't even remember what I was going to say, but I still know one thing today. If you have something to fight for, fight for it.

I _do _have something to fight for.

Vaguely, I heard Viscen shout an order to take turns swinging at a practice dummy. Tetris started first, swinging clumsily at the stuffed doll.

I _do _have something to fight for. And I _will _fight for it until I die.

* * *

><p><strong>Not my best for a late chapter, but please review! I'd love to hear opinions!<strong>


	38. Chapter 37

**Hey there all! So, so sorry for the long update. See, I've had this particular idea forever, but it has turned out to be a very hard chapter for me to put into words, and I wanted it to sound just right. I'm so sorry, and I hope this doesn't happen again! It's a long one, though, and I hope that makes up for it!**

**And do yourself a favor and check out _Abscondita: The Victura_ written by my very talented friend anidnawind. It's awesome, to put it lightly! Also, for people who like heavier reads, try _Oathbreaker_ by Zenith Meriadoc. One last recommendation: _Wind_ by Lyxie. Or anything by Lyxie. She's honestly amazing.**

**Thanks to Chris, tiger7210, Screen, JSMac, Farore64, sym spidey, First of the Nentari, Stripesdatiger, KaijuKnight, InsaneCertifiably, Anyone, Jupsi, Iranda20, Allieo, Halcyon Electric, and for reviewing! It means a lot! And since I am immature, I would like to point out that Jupsi was my 609th reviewer. Ha ha. Anyway, thank you all for commenting, and to others who have never reviewed, maybe review or PM me? Something so I can get feedback or get to know you better? And I think the stupid chapter screw up thing will be solved either this chapter or next chapter, so then you can review as normal!**

**~Leila**

**I use a couple languages here, but I won't translate them. I used Latin, Indonesian, google translator's Irish, and Hawaiian.**

**Inspired by Dante's Inferno, and the Greek Underworld, through most ideas are my own.**

**And lastly, thanks to Allieo for reading over my many drafts and putting up with my rants about writer's block at school. You're a swell comrade;)**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Facilis descensus averni.<em>**

**_Easy is the descent into Hell._**

* * *

><p>Chapter 38<p>

The last time she was outside of her sword was 2,967 years ago, according to her database. For 2,967 years she never saw sunshine, never felt a breeze, and simply sat in the cramped darkness doing _nothing_.

Nothing besides keeping Demise in check, of course. And thinking. She'd had a lot of time for thinking.

And she'd thought a lot. While her sword was passed from Hero to Hero, she thought about her whole mission with _her_ Link, and the more she thought, the more she was able to take the cold, rational facts out of it and tag "emotions" to memories. Scenes of her previous life in the Sacred Realm with Hylia and Ghirahim came back to her. She developed more of what humans called a "personality."

Yet then, one day while she was thinking all alone, she heard a familiar voice, the voice of Her Grace Hylia, gently asking her to wake up and keep the new Hero mentally stable.

An odd assignment, she'd thought, yet she obliged. It was in her programming to do so. And she found that she liked being awake and functional again. Talking to this Link made her feel alive, and she was able to exploit her newfound "personality."

Scanning her databanks, she found that her "personality" could be described as "snarky" or "witty." Fi, the "snarky" and "witty" spirit of the Master Sword. She found that she liked that.

"Are we there yet?" Link whined, she turned to look at him, studying his bored expression.

His face always seemed plastered in that bland mask of monotony. When the mask cracked, it usually revealed a face twisted with the fury of battle. The previous Link she had worked with had never been like that. He had always seemed to have a smile on his face, despite his circumstances. She had always wished, or to use the human word, "envied," his ability to shift his face into those smiles.

"I calculate at least another hundred miles before we reach Kakariko. Have you heard of this really neat thing called, 'patience'?" Fi questioned, her voice dripping with "sarcasm".

She tried twitching her face experimentally, hoping to arrange it in some way, whether it was the bright smiles or twisted fury. It remained the same neutral gaze it had always been.

"Patience has never really been my thing, sorry. Have you heard of something called 'tact'?" he retorted.

Of course she had heard of it. _Tact (takt) _noun: _adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues._

"Tact has never really been my thing, sorry," she said, mimicking his previous tone.

Why could she manipulate her vocal chords, but not her face? Did she even have vocal chords?

Now that she could think, she had so many questions she wanted to ask. Yet there was no one to answer them.

She was beginning to find it rather, what was the word, "stressful."

Out of all the "emotions" she had experienced, "stress" was her least favorite. It felt like a bomb with a lit fuse slowly receding into the gun powder, always only seconds from exploding. She wondered if Link often felt this way. Maybe that explained the blatant fury.

"Fi, do you know a lot about these Trials?" he asked, looking over at her.

She took the opportunity to study his face again. Now, his eyes held something else, not "sadness", or "wistfulness", but... "worry."

"Well, almost every Hero over the ages has had their own Trials to overcome. The Hero of Sky needed to maneuver the accursed Silent Realms to prove his worth in the Three Attributes: courage, wisdom, and power. The Hero of Twilight had to endure the Twilight Realm and defeat many monsters to restore light to his land. No Trial is ever the same; they are custom tailored to each individual Hero," she relayed, scanning her databases.

He was silent for a moment, and Fi continued to study him as they moved along. She always made sure to match the pace he rode his horse at.

"What do you mean by 'custom tailored'?" he inquired, looking up again.

"The Trials are all specifically designed to allow Heroes to prove their worth and make them stronger in the process. Each Trial plays on that particular Hero's fears," she told him.

She remembered how her Link acted once he returned from each Trial. He would shake uncontrollably, and more often than not, empty the contents of his stomach. The first Trial was the worst, she recalled. He had cried for a long time and would not stop trembling for at least an hour. Of course, then she had been unable to help him and could only stared blandly as he sobbed and shook. Looking back, the memory "scared" her.

"Are you... afraid to undergo the Trial?" Fi questioned hesitantly, not sure how Link would react to the question.

"Afraid? Not really. Worried, concerned, hesitant, yeah," he replied, shifting Epona's reigns in his hands before urging her on a little faster.

Fi concluded that he was indeed "afraid," just too "manly" to admit it.

"There's nothing to be worried, concerned, or hesitant about. Just get in there, get the map, and get out. Put it that way. And if you need motivation behind it, just remember that your sister is waiting for you at the Triforce Realm," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. She hoped it would be considered a "comforting" gesture.

He looked at her hand, "surprised" at her touch, then managed a small smile. Fi observed his muscle patterns as he did so, watching the slight twitch of movement, and then the smile.

She tried twitching her face, but as far as she could tell, she accomplished nothing. Why was it that she couldn't smile? She placed her new hands up on her face and attempted to force her lips into an upward curving position, but to no avail. Her face seemed to be frozen in the same, hollow expression it always had been.

"...Link?"

He looked at her. "Hm?"

She looked down at the ground below her. She had never been able to ask her master a question before. Her old programming had forbidden it.

"How do you... smile?" she asked.

He blinked, dumbfounded. "What?"

Fi was immediately "ashamed" and looked at the ground once more. "Nothing. Forget it and go back to your trivial pastime of counting clouds," she muttered, not wanting to look at the no doubt "confused" hero.

Another uneventful hour passed, and at last the towers of Kakariko City were visible, poking over the horizon. Fi had been there before, not in person, of course, a long time ago when she had only gotten fleeting glimpses of a ramshackle farm town from within her blade. The city had changed a lot since then, abandoning its old ways of farming and stock raising and adapting the role of the land's most successful science and technology research city.

They wouldn't be going to the city, though. She needed to lead him a few miles out of town, to the old Kakariko Graveyard. The graveyard was located on the site of the old _Scáth Teampall_, translated to the "Shadow Temple." It was originally a place of Sheikah worship, but evil magic grew in the shadows and eventually overtook the temple. Even after the Hero of Time purged the _Scáth Teampall _of monsters with her blade, the dark magic still radiated from within its walls until it was finally destroyed.

Link guided Epona to the wrought iron gates of the cemetery before sliding out of the saddle.

"Be back soon, girl," he muttered, patting her muzzle affectionately. He seemed to zone out from reality for a second, staring at an obscure point in space before snapping back to attention.

"Alright. Now what, Miss Smarty-Pants."

She looked at him blankly, as usual. "Find the Trial gate."

"Well how the hell am I supposed to do that? Tell me where it is!" he demanded.

"Gee, Mr. Important Hero, there's this really cool thing called_ magic _that you happen to possess. Why don't you give that a try, hm?" she snapped. Yet still her face was completely straight. It annoyed her to know that she could come up with such brilliant "sarcastic" remarks, yet her facial expressions never supported those remarks.

"Stupid magic," he muttered. "Magic isn't supposed to exist."

"Yet here we are. Quit whining at me and locate the Trial," she said coldly, crossing her arms in a "defiant" manner. At least that made her feel a little more "expressive".

"How do I do this? Is there a built in GPS or something?" Link asked, shaking his marked hand angrily.

"You need a location spell. Focus your mind on the gate, and whisper 'locate' to the Triforce," she instructed, reciting the directions like a child would relay a nursery rhyme.

He closed his eyes and scrunched up his nose, his way of focusing, she supposed, and brought his hand near to his face.

"Locate," he whispered.

A golden shockwave pulsed from the spot he was standing and shuddered through the graveyard. Another soon followed, rippling out from his feet and traveling across the graveyard.

_Individuare_, a disembodied whisper rasped. _Individuare.__  
><em>

Fi quickly determined that 'individuare' was the Sheikah word for 'locate.' Since they were in Sheikah territory, the spell needed to be spoken in the language of the native magic.

Several more pulses were emitted, until finally the whispers and golden tremors ceased. It was silent for a moment, until a radiant beam of white light shot up from the ground a few feet away. Link's eyes fluttered open, and the light dimmed, revealing an intricate pattern carved on the ground in shadow magic. Glyphs and runes were woven into the gate, reading the same thing in many different languages.

Death.

If Fi could shudder, she would have. But all she managed was an indifferent blink.

"This is the gate to the Realm of the Dead. Remember, once you enter, you cannot come out until the Trial is completed. Your objective is to find the spirits that hold the piece of the map to the Triforce Realm. But keep in mind that as soon as you have the map, the Realm will turn on you. You cannot be touched by any spirits, you cannot talk to spirits, and you cannot interact with spirits. If you do so, all will be lost. This is not a Trial you can repeat, Link. This is a pass or fail thing. Just get in, get the map, and _get out_."

Link looked up at her, and just for a moment, Fi could make out the sheer "terror" the teen was experiencing, but in a split second that was gone and the mask was back up, covering up any "emotion" he was feeling. It seemed that they had opposite problems; she wanted to show anything and everything she was feeling, and he wanted to reveal none of his "emotions" whatsoever.

"Will you be with me?" he asked.

"This is _your _Trial. It speaks to your mind, and as much as I know you love me, I can't be with you during the Trial. But I will be waiting right here for you when you come back," she told him, noting the way his face fell when she said she wouldn't be there.

"Oh. Well. I'll see you soon, then."

Hesitantly, he stepped forward into the circle of runes, looking around as he waited for something to happen.

After a moment, the purple light illuminating the circle flared brighter, causing him to flinch. The runes began to band together, the words melding into petals of purple magic. The petals then began to fold up, enclosing him almost like they were part of a tulip closing for the night.

Fi watched until she could see him no more. He was completely encased in the pod of shadow magic, and the case was beginning to drill back into the earth. Soon, the purple magic was no longer visible, and the cemetery was as silent and desolate as it had been before they came.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

(Link)

Voices whispered all around him, whispering in foreign and unfamiliar languages.

_Ró-dhéanach..._

_Mortem vicinam..._

_Hidup tidak diterima..._

_Make__ heaheas 'oe..._

He wasn't fully sure what had just happened, one moment he had been standing on the swirling Trial gate, and the next, purple walls encapsulated him, and he had the strangest sensation he was falling. It felt as if hands were pulling him down from all places, even reaching inside him, pulling, yanking, grabbing. Wind whipped his hair and stung his cheeks, raging inside the magic capsule like a cyclone.

The voices had started then too, and though he couldn't understand most of them, he could understand the sinister undertone, hissing of death and despair. He tried opening his mouth to scream, but his body wouldn't obey his mind, and his mouth remained closed.

Rushing, grabbing, screaming, whispers, death... And then silence.

The silence slammed into him, crashing down on him like a tsunami. One last whisper snaked its way into his ear, sending chills down his spine.

_Hic est mors, ubi vivens iam non remaneant._ _Audire cura dolore audire._ _Tollensque quod vos quaeritis esset insipientes facere,_ p_lurima mortis vires, et quoque cum illis._

A blanket of quiet settled over him again, he dared to open his eyes, which he had been unaware that he closed. The purple walls of his former prison had vanished from sight, leaving him a clear view of his new, unfamiliar surroundings.

He was standing in a gray field, devoid of all color. Gray grasses fluttered in a wind he couldn't feel, stretching out to the horizon of the gray, cloudless sky. Taking a hesitant step forward, he scanned the perimeter for any sign of activity.

Behind him, a bright column of white light flared up, and he turned around quickly, surprised. A scream caught in his throat at what he saw. The Trial gate was imprinted on the ground, serving as his way home, he guessed, but within the gate's protective runes was... him.

Limp as a puppet, eyes closed, head sagging, and held in a little bit off the ground by some magical force, was him. Panicking, he looked down at his hands, and to his horror, he found that he was as gray as the field in which he stood, and he was no longer solid skin and bones, but shimmering and translucent.

He let out an audible shriek and jumped away from the Link in the gate.

_Link, can you hear me?  
><em>

Link looked up, searching for the source of the faint, familiar voice.

"Fi?" he whispered, his voice trembling. She spoke again, her voice filling the silent void of the field.

_Oh, thank Hylia you can hear me. Link, I can only hold this connection for so long, so listen up. I forgot to mention that since you are in the Realm of the Dead, you will be separated from your body and go as a spirit. This is the reason the Trial is fatal if you do not succeed. If you fail to obtain the map piece, your soul will be destroyed, and the connection with your body will be severed. However, your body is also the key to returning to the world of the living. Once you touch your body, you will be reconnected and automatically transported back to Kakariko Graveyard, as no living can mingle with the dead. Do you understand?_

He nodded slowly, looking over at his body. His lifeless body. He was dead, by all technical accounts. He was dead and nothing but a meaningless spirit wandering the gray fields of death. He began to tremble, and his form began to waver with him, shaking from visible to invisible.

_You can do this, Link, it's only temporary. Just get... map... get..._

Fi's voice faded away almost as quickly as it had come, and he was alone again. After taking a series of deep breaths (did he even need to breathe?), Link felt he was ready to go on.

He began wading his way through the ocean of gray, stomping through the tall grasses. As far as he could see, there was nothing but grass and empty silence. Wasn't the Realm of the Dead supposed to contain, well, the dead? Where were the spirits?

Link's brow furrowed as he tromped through the field. He hoped this wasn't going to be some kind of surprise ambush.

A small rustle in the grasses and a faint humming sound drew his attention, breaking him from his thoughts. On instinct, he reached for his sword, yet he grasped air. Cursing under his breath, he realized his weapon was with his body. He dropped to the ground, crouching low as the sounds drew nearer, predicting what time to spring up and throttle the thing that came near him...

And found himself face to face with a small girl, who couldn't be any more than seven.

She stared at him with wide gray eyes, blinking rapidly, before composing herself and breaking into a wide, toothy smile.

"Hello, there, mister!" she chirped cheerfully. "Sorry if I startled you, I didn't mean to, no I didn't!"

"Um, can you help-"

"Oh, you're new here, aren't you? How'd you go? I burnt in a fire, yes I did, fifty years ago! Fifty years and I still can't find my way out of the Fields!" she threw her head back and laughed, a high-pitched laugh that made him cringe.

"I'm just visiting, can you tell me where I might find-"

"Just visiting? How peculiar, I've never heard of any visitors here before, no sir I haven't. Welcome to the Fields then, sir, the Fields of the Gray. Only way in is death, and some never find the way out!" she giggled.

Link was becoming very disturbed by this girl. Looking at her, you could see a slight glint of insanity in her eyes. Her hair was singed, and there was soot on her face and on her clothes, proving she did indeed burn in a fire. Every so often, her form would flicker, and you would see a small skeleton rather than a little girl. Yet she kept a huge smile plastered on her face, revealing three missing teeth.

"What do you mean 'some never find the way out'? Isn't there like a road or something?" Link asked.

"Only if you find it! Boy, Mister Visitor, you sure are clueless, yes you are! I guess I have to explain it to you then. When you die, your spirit leaves your mortal shell and sinks down to the Fields, the eternal Seas of Gray. There, in order to find your eternal resting place, you must scurry hither and thither to collect pieces of your sins. And once you have all of your sins, a path is revealed, leading you to wherever you belong! Easy-peasy, isn't it? Nope, it's not! I've been searching for fifty years, and some have been here for longer," she told him, clasping her hands together and rocking back and forth on her feet.

"...Oh. Isn't there any other-"

"The Fields of Gray, the Fields of Gray, where spirits search and search all day! And maybe much to your dismay, you can look but there's no other way," the girl sang in a mocking, tinny voice.

He stared at her, now thoroughly disturbed. She smiled up at him and giggled.

"Well, good luck, Mister Visitor, but I've got to keep looking! Yes, only three pieces left! Only three!" she tittered as she skipped away, humming a minor version of 'Ring Around the Rosy', and soon she had disappeared in the grasses.

Link took a couple steps backward, trying to process what he had just seen and heard. So he was in the Fields of Gray. An appropriate title, he thought. In the Fields of Gray, were the scattered shards of your sins, and you needed to gather all of your sins in order to reveal a path to "wherever you belong," as the girl had said. He assumed that meant you were judged on the amount of sins and sent to either a good resting place, or an eternal hell.

Did this mean he needed to collect _his _sins, or could he find an alternate escape from the eternal Sea of Gray?

He needed to get to higher ground, he decided, to have a look around. Scanning his surroundings, he found only flat land as far as the eyes could see. Frowning, he began to walk forward, pushing through the grass and hoping to come across any sort of knoll or bump.

To his amazement, with every step he took, the land seem to morph and mold around him. Air rippled and bent, and the the ground beneath him twisted and shaped. He stopped walking, mouth agape, and found the once monotonous plain a rolling, hilly landscape.

"Sweet Hylia," he whispered.

He hesitantly walked forward again, but this time the world around him remained unchanged. Regaining his courage, he walked normally, trekking up the nearest hill. Once at the top, he could suddenly see for miles. It was like the hill had grown to a mountain once he had reached the top. He felt like the goddesses, looking down upon the world.

Thousands of shimmering gray spirits roamed the fields, pawing through the tall foliage, searching every inch of ground for the shards of sin, all of which glowed different colors to Link's eyes. Though, he supposed, each individual spirit could only see their own sins.

Every once in awhile, a spirit would come across a long searched for piece of sin, and their face would light up with a happiness that only lasted a fragment of a millisecond before returning to the laborious task of searching for another shard.

And even less than once in awhile, a spirit would find a shard, and all the shards they had collected would join together to form a glowing, colored ball. The ball would then shine on a path, leading away from the Fields into the distant horizon. The happy spirit would then walk, their way lit by their sins, and be happily on their way to their next destination, whether that destination be good or bad.

For a second, he wondered if his parents were down there, pawing through the weeds, searching for lighted fragments of sin. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he shook his head. That didn't matter. He had a gut feeling that the map was not in the Fields, and if his parents were there, he didn't have time to look for them. He had more important things to focus on.

"Now where am I supposed to go?" he asked aloud, trying to forget the sudden wave of sadness that washed over him. He knew no one would answer, but it made him feel slightly less uneasy to hear his own voice and know that at least he could still talk.

Looking all around him, he could see no path that could lead him away from the eternal Sea of Gray. He also saw no sins he could identify as his own.

"Well how am I supposed to complete this stupid Trial, then?" he yelled at the sky angrily, his voice quivering. "What am I supposed to do?"

Again, there was no answer. Link closed his eyes and shivered, though he felt neither hot nor cold in his spirit form. He didn't like it here. He wanted to leave and never come back, even though he knew he would return here eventually. Maybe even soon.

But for now, he did not like the Realm of the Dead. The silence crushed him from all sides, and it was then that he realized his dependency and craving for company. Without a friendly voice to talk to, he felt scared and vulnerable.

_To talk to you. The goddess contacted me and asked me to keep you company while you traveled, to save you from your own head._

Fi's words returned to him as he stood alone, trying to piece himself back together. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes again.

"Maybe since I could manipulate the land like I did, I can manipulate the entire Realm?" he theorized out loud.

It was a plausible idea. Not that he knew where he was going, but as long as he were anywhere else but here, he figured that it didn't matter. He just wanted to be away from the silence of the Fields.

He began to walk again, concentrating on getting somewhere. Somewhere close.

Like before, the ground beneath him began to swirl and crumple, and now the skies above him were bending and changing. Around him, the landscape changed drastically.

He was no longer walking through tall grasses, but now on hard, craggy rock. He had seen this type of barren, blackened terrain before. At home, on Outset, on the black cliffs. His mother had told him that the island had been formed from a volcano, and that the black cliffs were the last remnants of a'a, the slow flowing lava that shaped his home.

The sky above him was no longer gray, but a smokey red, crackling with electric tendrils of lightning.

A massive black wrought-iron fence surrounded a massive fiery pit before him. The hole glowed with the red hot shine of lava, and he could hear screams of anguish and grunts of labor resonating from the pit's depths.

A sign, made of iron, arched over a locked gate, the only entrance to the pit. It was in a weird language, one Link had never seen nor heard of before.

_Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate._

Before his eyes, the letters began to bend and curve, forming the letters of his own language.

_Abandon all hope, ye who enter here._

"Is _this _were the map is?" he whispered, his voice barely a squeak.

Slowly, he walked to the fence and grasped ahold of the iron bars. And looking down, this is what he saw.

Fire erupted in columns. Rivers of blood boiled and churned. Heat clogged the senses, and the air was laden with shrieks and screams of torture. Smoke and haze clouded his view of the bottom, and he could not see if any spirit held the map he sought. He couldn't see any spirits at all.

"Would it be stupid to go down?" he asked himself. "Just to see, I guess. Not all the way down, just far enough," he decided. "Himself" agreed.

Letting go of the fence, he walked over to the gate, and reached his hand out to pull it open. To his surprise, as soon as he touched the gate, his hand clamped around the iron bar and was stuck there, unable to move. He yanked at the gate, hoping to unstick his hand, but to no avail. He attempted to pry his hand off with his other hand, but it would not give, as if welded to the gate.

_Luxuria..._

_Gula..._

_(Luxuria, Gula)_

_Avaritia..._

_Acedia..._

_(Luxuria, Gula, Avaritia, Acedia)_

_Ira..._

_Invidia..._

_Superbia..._

_(Luxuria, Gula, Avaritia, Acedia, Ira, Invidia, Superbia!)_

Whispers and echoes began to fill his head, repeating the same words in a foreign language over and over.

_(Saligia)_

_Superbia_

_Acedia_

_Luxuria_

_(Saligia)_

_Ira_

_Gula_

_(Saligia)_

_Invidia_

_Avaritia_

Link covered one ear with his free hand and squeezed his eyes shut, trying in vain to block out the stream of incoherent hisses.

Finally, the voice stopped. The sudden silence scared Link, and he opened one eye, to see if anything in his immediate surroundings had changed. Everything seemed normal.

_Who are you..._

Both eyes snapped open. It was a voice. Or, at least he thought so. It sounded like crackling flames, like a throat parched by the desert, like the dry winds in Ikana Canyon. He looked around for any possible sources of the sound, his search coming up negative. "Who the hell said that?" he demanded.

_Who are you..._

Link began trying to separate his hand from the gate again, yanking frantically, hoping the voice would go away once he was away from the gate.

_WHO ARE YOU..._

The disembodied voice had risen to a scream, like nails on a chalkboard, causing Link to cringe at the volume.

"I-I am Link, Hero of Hyrule," he stammered, hoping that playing the 'Hero' card would allow him to pass without much trouble.

_A Hero of Hyrule... at the Pit of No Hope... Why are you here?_

"I'm t-trying to find half of the map to the T-Triforce realm," he stuttered. "And I th-thought it might be down there, I just want to look."

_You think one of the Hopeless might have the map you seek?_

"I guess so?" Link said tentatively.

_Do you even know what is behind my gates? At the bottom of this hellish pit are the Hopeless... Those who have severely sinned against the heavens, and have committed Saligia... Therefore, as punishment for their actions, they must endure eternal pain and suffering as result of their violations of Saligia...  
><em>(superbia, avaritia, luxuria, ira, gula, invidia, acedia)_  
>...All while looking up at the holy, blessed lands of the Triumphant... These men are the most wrathful, evil creatures to have breathed in life... Do you still wish to see them?<em>

He hesitated. Could they get to him? If they could, could they hurt him when he was a spirit?

"Yes. I do," he found himself saying.

_You either have nothing to lose, or everything to lose. Whether tis bravery or stupidity, I know not. You may pass and observe the Hopeless. Look out for the Furiae, as they will not be as lenient on you as I have been. _

Before Link could squeak out his thanks or ask what the 'Furiae' were, his hand was suddenly separated from the gate, flying off the iron like bugs repelled from spray, and the doors to the Pit of No Hope slowly creaked open.

Hesitantly, Link walked through the gates. Predictably, they slammed closed behind him, but he jumped anyway. He couldn't help it. This place seemed to set all of his nerves on edge.

Heat blasted his face and hot wind stung his cheeks as he inched his way down the spiraling path. Sweat trickled down the nape of his nape, and as he got further and further towards the bottom, a cold feeling of despair and tiredness grew in his stomach. He knew it was the Pit's magic influencing him, but it still took all of his willpower to go on.

He was within the cloud of smoke now, enveloped in the hazy gray tendrils. Shadows could be seen below, twisted shapes, their moans and screams growing louder as he drew nearer to the bottom of the Pit.

Link shivered, despite the hellish heat. Could the map really be down here? He was starting to think this was a stupid idea to come down her. Turning around, he squinted to find the gate through the haze. He could just go back now...

An inhuman shriek shattered that thought as soon as he came to think it. Clasping his hands over his ears, Link searched frantically for the source of the ungodly sound.

And let out a screech of his own when he found it.

Rushing towards him rapidly was a woman. But this was not an ordinary woman you would see at a common grocery store. Her skin was an ashen gray, and her eyes like two glinting rubies. Long claws sprouted from her nail beds, and her teeth were bared into a snarl, revealing pointed fangs. Her hair, streaming behind her, was not hair at all, but fire raging on her head. Two wings glowing red hot were spread out alongside her, creating a true image of a demon.

Link panicked as the thing drew nearer and nearer, and flattened himself against the rocky wall of the cliff. The demoness sped past him and disappeared into the smoke, her scream and readied claws apparently meant for someone else. He pitied them, whoever they were.

After a moment to catch his breath, Link separated himself from the wall and continued his spiral downward.

"That would be a Furiae," he muttered to himself. "Delightful creature."

He managed to walk a good distance without being disturbed by another terrifying monster, and arrived at a clearing in the smoke, a spot he deemed good to search for the map piece.

Lying down on his stomach, Link peered over the edge and into the fiery depth of No Hope.

Fire. Fire was everywhere. Multiple Furiae brandished whips, and occasionally lashed out at a passing spirit, hissing menacingly. He noticed that most of the Hopeless looked extremely similar, if not identical. Most seemed to be large, muscular Gerudo men with prominent noses and flaming red hair. There were a few exceptions, like a Twili man, a man in a glittering white full-body suit, and a strange creature wearing a heart-shaped mask radiating terrible power.

He also noted the numerous, horrifying ways of torture, though there seemed to be a system. Squinting, he saw crude letters carved into the stone above each type of torture.

_Superbia. Acedia. Luxuria. Ira. Gula. Invidia. Avaritia. _

Then, like the words on the gate, the unfamiliar words began to rearrange, morphing into letters he knew.

_Pride. Sloth. Lust. Wrath. Gluttony. Envy. Greed._

"Saligia," he whispered, realizing now what the voice meant.

These Hopeless had all broken the Seven Deadly Sins, the seven original faults against the goddesses. He put two and two together, inferring that these were the generations of the Dark King and his evil cronies.

Each man underneath his respectable sin was being tortured in an equally cruel, painful, and creative way.

The man in the white suit, beneath the carved _superbia,_ was trapped in a maze of mirrors, screaming as he looked into each mirror, but unable to escape. The ground beneath him was flowing hot lava, keeping him constantly moving, forced to look into each mirror and experience a past deed and relive his worts nightmares. A few other Dark King incarnations were suffering the same fate.

Beneath _acedia__, _several Hopeless screamed and squirmed in a pit of writhing poisonous snakes that squeezed and bit them, and would continue doing so for eternity.

Hopeless who violated _luxuria _were chained on beds of fire, burning as their passion for women had in life, and were each surrounded by several beautiful women, Link wondered if they had lusted for these women in life, and they would whisper seductively in the poor Hopeless' ear and would touch and caress him but then spit on him and kindle the fire beneath him.

Those suffering the effects of _ira_, such as the masked creature, were placed in an arena ringed with fire and were put up against multiple Furiae and jeered at and provoked into fighting, and then the poor soul was quite literally ripped apart by the Furiae's cracking whips, only to be rebuilt again and start the process over.

In the _gula _section of the Pit, a large table piled high with rich, substantial foods was set, and the Hopeless seated around it were forced to continually eat without stopping for eternity. A few of them would throw up, but they were whipped and screeched at by the Furiae and were forced to resume stuffing their face.

For _invidia, _several Dark Kings were chained to a tall pillar of burning rock, baring their teeth and glaring at whatever lie at the top of the cliffs, the city of the Triumphant, as the voice had called them. Whoever they were, the envious were definitely not happy to see them succeeding.

And lastly, he came across the punishment for _avaritia. _The Twili man and many Dark Kings were constantly drowning in a sea of red hot gold coins. A continuous rain of the metal poured down on them from above, and they were constantly fighting to remain above the surface, but if they got too high, Furiae waiting by would throw rocks or shoot arrows at the Hopeless, causing them to sink back into the coins with screams of agony.

Link's wide eyes took all of the bloody, fiery hell in, his mind racing to process the scene.

_Therefore, as punishment for their actions, they must endure eternal pain and suffering as result of their violations of Saligia..._

Digging his nails into the ragged rock beneath him, he scanned the Pit for any sign of a map. No spirit or Furiae he saw held anything that looked like a ripped half of a map.

As he looked, the flamboyant man in white happened to look up, his fearful violet eyes meeting with Link's own.

Yelling something Link couldn't understand, he pointed a slender finger up at Link, and the head of every single Furiae turned to look at him, their eyes narrowing menacingly.

Then, simultaneously, they threw their heads back and let out high-pitched, demonic screeches. Link squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed his ears, wanting to block the ungodly sound out.

Once they ceased their horrible war cry, they turned and began to all zoom up the spiral path, rocketing towards him at inhuman speeds.

Link stumbled to his feet, nearly tripping and falling again, and began to run. "Oh damn," he muttered. "Oh damn, damn, damn!"

He ran as fast as he had eve run in his life, cringing as he heard the shrieks and cackling of the Furiae growing louder and louder. The gate was in view now, maybe a hundred feet away. But the Furiae... He looked back, maybe the worst mistake of his life.

The Furiae were there, claws dripping with blood, hissing at him as they flew.

_We sssee your pain... We feel your sssufferring... We know your misssery..._

As they said this, he felt a cold hand reach through him, gripping his heart, prodding in his head, and snaking around his soul. When the hand left him, causing him to shiver, the two lead Furiae began to change.

And in the place of the two demonesses were now the walking bloody corpses of his parents, mutilated beyond any recognition.

_Abandon all hope, ye who enter here... And those who enter may never get out!_

The Furiae lunged at him, as did the apparitions of his parents. With a mighty leap, Link threw himself forward and through the now open gates, which slammed closed behind him._  
><em>

As he lay on the ground wheezing, he could hear the grunts and snarls of the Furiae, and a hand clamped onto his boot. Yelping, he turned to see the glassy eyes and sadistic smile of his father's corpse, his face peeling off and blood running down his cheeks like tears.

With a scream and a mighty kick, Link freed himself from the illusion's grasp and scrambled to get away from the gates, managing to pull himself to his feet.

He stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, covering his eyes with his hands like he used to when he was a child and saw scary movies. He also had done this at the bloody site of his parent's murder.

The screams and curses of the Hopeless still echoed through his head, their suffering etched in his heart, and their agonized expressions burned in his brain. The faces and shrieks of the Furiae would never leave him. A tear trickled between his fingers and down his cheek, splashing on the smoldering a'a.

Where his tear had landed, the black a'a cracked, and up sprouted a flower, colored too brightly to be natural.

He removed his hands from his face and watched curiously as the flower grew higher and higher, tender leaves curling and petals unfurling. From the center of the exotic specimen, a second stem burst forth, growing and sprouting a second flower that looked like an arrow, pointing away from the Pits.

Following the arrow's path with his eyes, he found it pointed directly at a gleaming white city off in the distance, situated right on the cliff tops of No Hope. Casting a strange glance at the flower, he slowly began to walk forward, the distance warping once again so that he was right in front of the city gates in three steps.

Like the Pit of No Hope, the city was guarded by a wrought iron gate, though the sign above it read something entirely different.

_Fortis consistere, sed fortis triumpho._

The strong survive, but the courageous triumph.

As he translated the words, the gates swung open, allowing him into the glittering city. Hesitantly, he stepped through the gates, wondering what kind of horrors could dwell here. But there were no monsters to be found here.

He marveled at the luxury and beauty of the town, compared to the dirty fire of the Pit. The streets were paved with pearls, melted and waxed until perfectly smooth. Buildings were carved of opal and adorned with gold and diamonds. Various trees, shining with unearthly light, lined the streets, bearing not only fruits of every kind, but gemstones as well.

Link looked around, starstruck, He couldn't believe a place like this could exist here when places like the Field and the Pit existed so near by.

He heard laughter, echoing from another street, and he quickly ducked into an archway, keeping himself hidden from any passerbys. Watching curiously, he saw a girl in a pink dress dragging a boy behind her, chattering constantly as they went.

As they got nearer, Link almost let out a gasp, but refrained from doing so in fear of getting caught. He didn't know if he was supposed to be here.

But the girl and boy... The girl was a carbon copy of Zelda two years ago, though she seemed far more energetic and her hair was a lighter shade of blonde. The boy looked like him, green man-dress and all, smiling contently as she babbled on and on, occasionally laughing and adding his own input.

"Well I'd never thought of it that way," his twin was saying.

"Of course you haven't! That's cause' I'm smarter than you," Zelda's twin stated matter-of-factly.

"Said who!" the boy cried indignantly.

"Me, myself, I, the goddess Hylia, and your wife."

"Well, me, myself, I, the Hero of the Surface, and your husband all just took a vote, and we say you're an arrogant twat."

The girl giggled, sounding exactly like Zelda, causing him to cringe, and they rounded a corner, disappearing from sight, though their voices still echoed through the streets.

Link stepped out from his hiding spot, mind reeling. So these were the Triumphant, the past Heroes and Princesses, living in a white city over the Pits of No Hope. No wonder the envious were so unhappy. They were forced to watch those they hated be happy in the afterlife.

He turned to walk down the street, hoping to find the map somewhere within the city, and ran straight into something hard.

That something emitted a small grunt, then grabbed Link to steady him and keep him from falling.

"Watch where you're going," the something, or rather, someone, snapped, taking the words directly from Link's mouth.

He looked up into a pair of feral blue eyes, looking down at him curiously. His eyes reminded him of those of fierce beasts he had read about in books as a child.

"Who the hell are you? There's not another new one already, is there? Did you die early?" the figure demanded.

Link stepped back and found himself looking at yet another person identical to himself, yet this incarnation was a good foot taller than him and his shaggy hair was darker. And his eyes, his piercing eyes, looked nothing like Link's own. Or at least he hoped not. This boy's eyes intimidated him, and he wasn't one to get intimidated by appearances.

"No. I'm not dead," he said dumbly, inwardly cursing himself for not applying his eleven years of education.

"Uh, then why are you here? In the Realm of the Dead? Land of eternal sleeping mass, land that none who live shall pass? he asked.

"Impressive. Did you just make that up on the spot?" Link asked with a smirk.

"Actually, yeah, I did. I'm a poet and I didn't even know it. Actually, I know it, it just wouldn't cleverly rhyme if I said I were 'a poet that was completely aware of the fact'," he mused.

Link eyed this Hero suspiciously. He sounded exactly like him, and he wasn't sure he liked that.

"It has a ring to it. But in all non-poetical seriousness, I was sent here on a Trial," he told the other Hero.

He nodded, as if he understood, which Link was sure he did. "Oh, Trials. The joys of being the lapdog of the goddesses. Quite literally, in my case," he said, smiling to himself like that was some sort of private joke.

"You are rather doglike. I can get the whole 'I drool on the floor and lick myself,' vibe from you," Link agreed.

The Hero opposite him was silent, staring at him hard with eyes narrowed, then burst out laughing. "I like you, you're funny! I'm telling Zelda about you! Anyway, what are you looking for and how may I be of service to you?" he asked, still chuckling.

"I'm looking for a piece of a map. Seen one lying conveniently around?" Link inquired.

"A map..." the other Hero trailed off in thought. Link observed him as he thought, noting the way he bit his lip, furrowed his brow, and looked upward as he pondered Link's question. Link always did the exact same thing.

"I think I might know what you're talking about. Maybe. Not promising, but if I'm right, I demand a bag of candy corn in payment," he told Link.

"How am I supposed to get candy corn to you?"

"Find a way. Nothing's impossible, especially not with candy corn at stake," he declared. "Now come on, Link, let's go."

The other boy began to walk down a street, not looking behind to see if Link was following. Frowning, Link jogged to catch up to him, looking up at his face.

"How'd you know my name?" he demanded.

"What, Link? They're all Link. _I'm _Link. It gets pretty confusing trying to remember which Link is what Link, trust me. Though some of them I find very bothersome, so I don't talk to them and therefore don't need to bother remembering who they are or what damn era they saved," he said cheerfully.

"Bothersome, eh?"

"Yeah. I would have said something more vulgar but my wife and I like to have battles of wit and vocabulary," the other Link told him. "Not that bothersome is an impressive vocabulary word. It's just not commonly used."

"You have a _wife_?" Link asked, shocked. This boy couldn't be more than two or three years older than him.

"You think I don't? I'm plenty attractive, as well as witty, charming, brave, dashing, and so many other good words. Such as modest," he said with a boyish grin, ducking into an alley. "But yeah, I do, and she's one hell of a woman."

"How old are you?" Link questioned.

"It's not polite to ask a woman their age! Only joking. And I think I'm..." he trailed off, counting on his fingers "Two-thousand something? I lost track after like one-thousand nine-hundred and ninety-three."

"Wow, you look good. Do you moisturize?" Link teased, beginning to feel a little more comfortable with this other Hero.

"Twice a day, once at night and right when I wake up. Can't let the wrinkles get to me! But actually, I can appear any way I want to. I could look two-thousand, or I could look four. Most of us like to look the age we were when were were Heroes, though."

"That's pretty cool. Have you ever looked at yourself as a two-thousand year old man?"

"As a matter of fact, I did yesterday, and my reflection scared me so bad I almost wet myself. Two-thousand year olds kind of look like walnuts with eyes," he told him.

Link smiled. "That's a disturbing image."

"Well, someone else looking like a humanoid walnut would actually be kind of funny. But not me. My skin type can't really pull off the 'shrunken head' look."

"Really? You strike me as the kind of person that can pull off anything. I mean, you're working that green man-dress."

He grimaced. "Don't even get me started on the man-dress. I have an entire rant about the man-dress."

They fell into a comfortable silence as Link followed his predecessor through the gleaming white streets of the Triumphant city. Everything here seemed to shimmer and glow, everything from the leaves on the trees to the doorknobs. It almost reminded him of Domain, but Domain was full of blue, purple, and people, unlike the Triumphant city, which was devoid of both color and human activity.

He wondered where all the other Heroes were. How many other Links were there? Could there really be thousands upon thousands of previous Heroes, or were there only a select handful, born once every few millennia? He had always assumed it was the latter, as you only heard a little bit about a few Heroes, the ones considered to be the greatest of the great. The Hero of Time, the Hero of Twilight, he had heard a bit about a Hero of Surface or Skies, and the Hero of Winds.

But what if there were hundreds of Heroes whose tales had faded in time, forcing them back in obscurity? What if he were doomed to suffer that eternal burden of people forgetting that he existed?

No. He wouldn't let that happen. His _dimidium _was heading into war now, and he vowed to make his name remembered.

They continued to walk, and Link was about to make a snide remark about the other Link's sense of direction, when a soft, musical voice cut him off.

"Link? Is that you, you dirty rascal?"

Both Links turned to see a beautiful woman in a white dress standing a few feet away from them with her arms crossed. The other Hero's face lit up like the sun, while Link had to force himself to keep his mouth from hanging open. This woman was probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Her skin was clear and pale, her lips a soft rose, and her eyes a stormy gray blue. Pointed Hylian ears poked out from her rich golden-brown hair that hung past her shoulders.

"It is I, Link, the Dirty Rascal. What ails thee, O lovely wife of mine?" he asked, walking over to her and sweeping her into a hug.

She giggled, once again reminding Link of Zelda. Which, he supposed, this woman _was_ Zelda, just not _his_ Zelda.

"For starters, you promised you'd be home an hour ago. We're due to have dinner with Midna, remember?"

Midna? Link's brow furrowed. Not his Midna, right? Was there another Midna as well?

"Oh, damn. Yeah, I remember. I just needed to help Squirt here, he's on a Trial... Oh, where are my manners?"

"What manners, farm-boy?" the woman teased lightly.

"Quiet, you. You're ruining my formal introduction. Other Link, Zelda. Zelda, Other Link," he introduced the two. The other Zelda stuck out her hand, which he took.

"Enchanted," she said with a radiant smile that made his stomach flip.

"Y-yeah, nice to meet you," he muttered.

"So I'm really sorry, Squirt, but I forgot that I'm meeting one of my dearest friends for dinner, and will be unable to accompany you any farther. However, if you just keep following this road, you'll reach where you're looking for. They live in the light green house at the very end of the street. And remember, I expect my candy corn," he teased, taking his wife's hand.

"Keep moving forward, green house, candy corn. Got it," Link relayed with a grin.

"Well, good luck then, and see you hopefully in the next seventy years or so! Just remember, don't do drugs, abstinence is key, and-"

"Oh please, Link, spare us all and stop running your mouth. Honestly, you're slowing him down, and you're making us later than we already are!" Zelda chided, smacking his shoulder playfully.

"Just giving you pearls, kid," the Hero told him with a wink. "Goodbye then."

"Bye."

And with that, the pair turned and walked down the pearlescent street hand-in-hand, leaving him alone once again. Link hated to be alone.

Heaving a sigh, he continued on his not-so-merry way down the road. He hoped the Link was right and the map was where he told him, he really just wanted to get out of this accursed Realm.

As he walked, the street beneath him began to shift from the pearly white to a beautiful blue lapis lazuli. The houses around him were now painted multitude of colors, and there were more spirits out and about. If he didn't know better, he would say it was exactly like being in a normal town in life.

Children played in their front yards, kicking balls around and playing cowboy with imaginary guns. Old women knitted on the front porches. Men and women walked down the streets, talking and greeting others as they went about their business.

It was almost surreal to see the normalcy of the dead. He never thought death would be like this, not even in his wildest dreams.

He came upon a sort of bustling town square, a fountain portraying the four goddesses in the center. Spirits moved about, shopping, laughing, and talking. He saw a few teenaged girl spirits huddled around the fountain, eating ice cream and no doubt gossiping. A few young boys were attempting skateboard tricks.

It was honestly like being back up in the world of the living, though he knew only the good got to come here. He knew where the bad went.

Continuing on his way, the green house the Hero had spoken came into view. It was a quaint little place, with meticulously planted flower boxes and a neatly trimmed lawn.

As he drew nearer, a lump formed in his throat. Painted on the door, just like back at home, was the symbol of Farore.

_Oh goddesses, anyone but them, why them, why not anyone else oh Din oh Din!_

With small steps and shaking hands, he stepped onto the porch, reaching out a trembling hand to knock on the door. Rapping lightly three times, he stepped away from the door, chewing his lip anxiously.

"Coming!" a familiar voice called from inside.

_Oh Din anyone else please anyone else..._

"Hel- Oh. Oh my."

It was her. He was standing in front of her. The same big green eyes, the same freckles, the same long blonde hair. She was a good deal shorter than he remembered. He was at least a foot and a half taller than her now. But it was her.

"M-mom?" he croaked, tears filling his eyes.

She was silent, then slowly reached up to brush some hair from his face.

"You've grown so much," she whispered, a tear trickling down her cheek.

"Amy? Amalthea, who is it?" a deeper voice called from inside the home. _Oh Din oh Din please why them why why why-_

His father came into view, his blue eyes widening significantly as he saw Link. There they were. His mother and father, his makuahine and his makua kane, the people who had haunted his dreams for ten years. Standing right in front of him, living happily, comfortably.

His father was the first to speak.

"Link?"

The word rolled off his tongue so familiarly. A wave of nostalgia washed over him, and his resolve came crashing down. Tears streamed down his face, and he ran into his parent's open arms, savoring their embrace.

They were cold, like the dead. He was crying and shivering in his parent's arms, in his dead parent's arms.

_Why them why them they're so cold so cold why them!_

"Oh Lincoln," his mother murmured. "My little boy, you've grown up. Let me see your face," she instructed gently, pulling away from the embrace and tilting his chin up.

"He has your good looks," his father said, wiping a tear and letting out a small chuckle.

"No, he looks like you did at this age. He has your eyes," his mother mumbled softly, cupping his face in her hands.

"M-makuahine, makau kane," Link stammered. "I'm so sorry it was my fault I'm so so sorry!"

His parents exchanged alarmed glances and looked back at him. His father took both of his hands in his and gripped them tightly, reassuringly.

"Link, this was in no way your fault. I don't know why you think it was, but it wasn't. We died because we love you, and we still do. We've been waiting for this time to come, just so we could see you one more time," his father told him gently.

_It was still his fault, all his fault and it would always be his fault, oh Din, oh Din why_

With trembling fingers, his mother drew a piece of folded parchment from her dress.

"How is your sister? Is she safe?" she asked, clasping her hands over the map piece.

"I-I don't kn-know. The map will lead me t-to her," he said.

His mother nodded solemnly. "I see."

"Link, we are so proud of you," his father whispered, drawing him into another tight hug.

_So cold so cold his fault so cold_

"When you take this map, you need to run. You need to run as fast as you can and leave, because every spirit, including us, will turn against you and run after you in an attempt to keep you from leaving," his mother warned.

"You can't let that happen, paki, not when there's so much at stake," his father said gravely. "You need to get to your sister and make sure she's safe."

"But you-"

His mother cut him off.

"Link, we'll be here. We're fine now. And we'll be with you. We always have been," she said with a sad smile.

"You need to go now, my boy. The more time you waste, the more the world is plunged into the inevitable darkness. Don't worry about us. We'll see you again someday."

Again someday. He'd see them again someday.

Nodding dumbly, he reached forward to hug them again, thankful for their touch, even if they were dead and they were cold- _so cold, they're so cold oh Din_- they were still his mother and father.

"O-okay."

He pulled away from the hug, then did one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life.

He took the map from his mother, and then he turned and ran.

The sky turned from the bland gray to a threatening, menacing red in a matter of seconds. Everything seemed to turn red, and the Realm pulsed and throbbed like a heartbeat, increasing as his adrenaline did. Already he could see spirits coming, once happy people, now red-eyed demons, hissing at him and reaching for him, grabbing at him as he passed.

He didn't look back. He didn't want to see _them like _this. It would destroy him.

He ran. And he ran. Panting and gasping, he ran out of the streets of the good spirits, passing the Triumphant city. No Heroes chased after him. He didn't expect them to.

He ran and ran, the willing the world to twist around him, until he was in the Fields of Gray again. Only the Fields were red now, the sky crimson and the grass looking like blood-stained knives.

Spirits were coming from all directions, their hisses blending into one, their arms all outstretched. They encircled him, closing in from all sides.

Link didn't stop. Thinking quickly, he willed the Realm to bend again, this time making the ground beneath him sink like a trampoline, and fling him up up up and over the mass of spirits. Flailing through the air, the ground came rushing at him fast. He landed with a thud, yet he felt no pain, as he was a spirit himself.

His body was in view now, only a little bit ahead. The spirits were behind him, he knew. He could hear them hissing.

He scrambled to his feet, panting heavily, and ran more. This was the home-stretch, the final leg. Spirits were once again closing in all around him, but it did not matter. His body was right there, so close to him.

And there was no better feeling than the feeling of relief he felt when his hand touched his skin, and his spirit reconnected to his body. Heart pumped blood again, lungs breathed air again, and the Realm of the Dead and the vicious spirits melted away around him, fading into a blinding white light.

He had done it. He had passed his Trial.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Fi stood stationed at her spot in the graveyard, waiting. She hadn't moved since Link had descended into the Realm of the Dead an hour ago. She had simply stood there, reading headstones and noting how certain clouds looked like Kikwis.

Suddenly, the ground glowed with purple light. Snapping back to attention, Fi watched as the purple bud of magic resurfaced and began to unfurl, revealing a very "distressed" looking Link.

He immediately fell to his knees, his eyes glassy, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

"Link?" she asked tentatively. "Link are you alright?"

He did not respond. He only continued to stare in front of him, showing no sign of any "emotion" at all. He looked like her.

After a moment of this trauma-induced silence, he seemed to snap back into reality, standing up without a word. Then, turning to her, he spoke.

"You think of something happy."

"What?" she asked, wondering whatever he could mean.

"You asked me how to smile. You think of something happy, and it just happens."

Those words would stick with Fi for a long time.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh my. That's a long one, and a bit of a doozy! Sorry for the wait, I feel horrible! And I apologize for any mistakes, most of this was written in a feverish state, so if you find any errors, tell me please. Reviews would be much appreciated!<strong>


	39. Chapter 38

**Hello guys! This is a little late, but happy-belated-holidays nonetheless! I hope you all had a good whatever you celebrate! I decided this chapter will be a little bit on Zelda, and the next chapter I'm going over a bunch of timelines. **

**Thanks to JSMac, Rinni Love, CatMittens, Echoing Wolf, WhiteHero, c. blythe15, xCrimsonLoftwingx, prien12, DarkOppressor, sym spidey, blacksunset1214, LEva114, Farore64, WolfenAmphithere, Fabulanova780, JSMac, and Wolfboy for reviewing! I THINK that the reviewing problem should be fixed now. I think.**

**Please check out _Samsara_ by YellowDancer, _The Puppeteer_ by shattered petal, if you like dark stuff then_ One Hazy Morn_ by LEva114, _Encore_ and _Matryoshka _****by Reyser, and _Outlawed Love_ by Infamously. Me All are absomatutely fantabulous. **

**And I published a oneshot, just a short cameo from the point of view of Zelda as Sheik. It's called Princess, and it'd dark, and I like it. Read please?**

**So I hope you enjoy. Prepare for drama! And I've realized that I'm 2/3 done with this story. Oh no, I'll have to get a life now! Ha ha. Read on.**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>Chapter 38 (Midna)<p>

She stood out on the stone balcony, staring out at the mountains, seemingly oblivious to the biting chill of the air. The black silk robe she wore did little to block out the cold and billowed around her in the wind.

At first glance, she looked serene as she gazed at the inky black sky and glittering stars above. But if you were to look gin, you might notice her tense posture, and the way her nails dug into the stone railing of the balcony.

Part of her was judging the distance from the balcony to the ground. She could jump, and if she was lucky, kill herself to save her from the horrors of living. Yet the other part of her, the stronger part that was constantly devouring the last of her free soul, kept her right where she was, looking out over the old castle grounds.

_Can't have you jumping, no, we need you right here, safe and sound. _

Everyday she felt herself succumbing more and more to the darkness that had infested itself within her long ago. She did things against her will. She had hurt people. Turned against her friends. Even killed people. She had done so many awful things, all because of _him..._

His eyes haunted her dreams. His honey-like voice pervaded all of her thoughts. His touch lingered for hours after their meetings.

Zant.

His name made the free part of her tremble with fear and hatred. His name made the other part of her giddy with excitement and happiness.

_So conflicted, so confused..._

Everything that she had to give, he had taken from her. Her dignity. Her freedom. Her pride, her personality, her innocence, her happiness. Her virginity.

That night would be forever burned into her mind. Full of a passion and lust that wasn't hers. So hot, so rough. Yet _she_ had wanted it. _She _had made not effort to stop him. That one part of her gave herself freely and completely, while the free part cried and screamed from within.

Digging her nails deeper into the stone, the free part of her surfaced, and tears formed in her eyes.

_Why was I so stupid?_

She met him when walking home from school one day. She remembered being excited because her mother was taking her shopping at the hottest boutique in town, promising to get her a new summer sundress. Funny how that seemed so frivolous and trivial now.

As she walked, she had decided to cut through an alley to continue her way home on the beach. And there, walking down the same alleyway, was him. Instantly when she saw him, she felt some sort of... connection, she supposed you could call it. A faint nagging in the back of her mind, a distant memory resurfacing.

Needless to say, this spiked her curiosity. She called out to him, catching him by surprise. Though she could tell that as soon as he saw her he recognized her in some way too. He introduced himself, and that was the first time she heard that dreadful word spoken.

Zant.

They talked for quite some time, and Midna found he was easy-going and fun to engage conversation with. They exchanged phone numbers and went on with their lives.

The next day, she went the same way home and met him again. This time, they walked along the beach together, and he told her fascinating stories of legends and myths. Of past Heroes. Of fallen kingdoms. Of the history of their people, the Twili. He painted pictures of glory and filled her head with ideas of power and wealth.

Story-telling became a routine of theirs. They met, they walked together and swapped old tales, then they parted.

One day, he asked her if she would be interested in working with him. He told her it was a risky business, but the end results were power and wealth beyond imagine. Captured by the idea of being a princess, as he often told her, she agreed.

The next day, he told her his longest and most elaborate story yet.

It was the beginning of their people. How they were cast aside. Banished. Thrown out like trash. All because of a Hero and a Princess. He told her how their people were so close to achieving revenge, thanks to a Dark King. And then how their dreams of reuniting the worlds were again crushed by another Hero and another Princess.

She remembered how angry she had felt at his story. Her race was often looked down upon. Why should she forever be doomed to lurk in shadows?

And as she listened, she couldn't shake the waves of déjà vu that crashed upon her. Where had she heard this story, seen this man, felt these angry, bitter emotions before?

Her questions were soon answered in his next story. The Hero of Sky, after besting the deity Demise, was cursed to be reborn again and again so Demise could fulfill his rage and seek his revenge. And so a cycle was started, a never ending cycle that had continued for thousands upon thousands of years.

At first, it was only the Hero, the Princess, and Demise that were caught and incarnated in this wheel. Then, as they interacted with other prominent figures, those people began to reincarnate as well, becoming trapped in the cycle.

The Six Sages. The Hero's closest friends. Simple people that had barely any relevance to the Hero's quest at all. Villains the Hero encountered. And among these caught in the wheel was a former princess of Twilight.

Midna.

Midna was caught on a repeating wheel of being reborn lifetime after lifetime after lifetime.

Her first reaction was to laugh. He was crazy. Insane. Mad! Then she was scared. She knew she had known this man from somewhere... And then the flood of memories came, the onslaught of visions from hundreds of years ago.

If anything, this revelation that she was the incarnate Twilight Princess only made her trust Zant more.

And now she knew everything. She knew who Link and Zelda were. Who Zant and Ganondorf were. Who Shad was, and even Agitha. She had all known them before, the Hero, the Dark King, the ditzy little girl who loved bugs.

She felt a multitude of emotions. First, some odd pang of longing for Link. A strong bond with Zelda, but also a sharp flash of jealousy. She had gotten something she had wanted. Or rather, someone. A love for Zant, then a bitter hatred. She had thought Shad was a nerd even back then.

She supposed some things never changed.

Overall, she was as confused as hell.

But she still wanted to help Zant.

That was the dumbest mistake she had ever made in her life.

With the unnatural hatred she was feeling, towards Link for abandoning her, towards Zelda for stealing what should have been hers, towards Hyrule for exiling her, she probably would have done whatever he had said anyway.

He said the marks were for "Just in case."

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Now she was here with blood on her hands, virginity stolen, and insanity infesting itself in the depths of her mind. And she had done it all, by free will almost. That part of her chose it all, embraced it, lived it.

The free part cried. The free part cried a lot.

Her thoughts were cut off by the opening of her chamber doors.

Immediately, her fists unclenched, and she turned to face her new visitor with her sassy smirk and a hand on her hips.

Standing before her was Ganondorf, the King of Evil. His face was grim and taut, more so than usual. Though he had been in a reclusive mood lately. Zant suspected he had attempted to kill the Princess but had failed.

That part of her thought the wench deserved to have her blood spill out of her pretty little neck.

"Your Excellency," she purred, inclining her head towards him respectfully. "What is it that draws you to my chambers at this time of night?"

"I came to tell you that we're bringing Forest down into the dungeons to join Fire and Water. Desert is heading out to retrieve Light tomorrow, and you shall accompany her," he ordered, tiredness seeping into his commanding tone.

"Mm. And what of Shadow?" she inquired.

"We've been tailing him. We should have him within a couple of days," he disclosed.

"Are you sure he is the Sage of Shadow?" she asked quietly, looking up at the mighty King.

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Midna hesitated. She knew that Zant had labeled Sheik as the Sage of Shadow. Yet when Midna was made aware of her identity, she also was able to exploit magical abilities she had used in her past life. Her hair, for instance, could be used as a third hand. Among her magical talents was the ability to sense magic on others. While Sheik did give off small vibes of Shadow magic, he radiated more of Light magic. She hypothesized that he was in close contact with the Sage, not the actual Sage himself.

"Nothing. I just don't think we should jump to fast conclusions," she said finally, turning to look out at the night again.

"Zant said he had found the Sage, so I'll trust Zant," Ganondorf said with an undertone of irritation. "Do you not trust him?"

_Of course I don't I hate him I hate him he ruined my life I hate hate hate him-_

"I trust him completely. After all, why wouldn't I?"

* * *

><p>(Zelda)<p>

Depression isn't sadness. It isn't just some deep overwhelming sense of despair. It's being numb. It's not caring.

It's waking up every morning knowing that you live for no purpose but to drift through life slowly, robotically, and for no cause whatsoever.

I find myself sitting on my bed, chin propped in my hand, staring at a wall for _hours_. What else would I do? What else would I _bother _doing?

It doesn't matter. Nothing does.

And now that I think I've accepted this, I've found myself content to waste away in this tower.

My fantasies of anyone coming to save me, Link to come bursting in like the Hero he is, my father coming to sweep me up in his arms, have been crushed. Escape is just a murmur of past hopes.

Hope.

What's the point? Hope doesn't get you anywhere. I've hoped to escape, hope to be set free, but all I've managed to do is sit uselessly while a maniac and two people I trusted burn the world around me. And I can't stop them. I'm not sure if anyone can.

My only foothold left is my time spent in the dungeons, talking with Lulu and a Goron man, Darunia, who is the Sage of Fire. We take turns swapping information, things they heard while practicing magic with the "Master," whose name they still refuse to tell me, and I tell them what I hear while invisibly scouting the hallways.

Invisibility. My new best friend.

After a week or so of practice, I was able to master the art of complete disappearance. It is a little unnerving to look in a mirror, knowing you're standing right before it, but seeing nothing there. However, it has overall proven to be an extremely useful skill. I can pick up guard positions and times of guard changes, as well as little tidbits of gossip here and there.

Sneaking around in the hallways has become a regular pastime of mine, anything to get me out of that room.

I'm able to follow behind Zant's guards without them noticing a thing, and steal food from the kitchen for Lulu and Darunia. Lulu has been abnormally craving bananas lately. Anything banana-y, she'll wolf down in a second.

The one thing I am not brave enough to do is tail Midna, Zant, or Nabooru. I am too scared of being caught, too scared of what they'll do to me. Even when I see one of them in passing, I can't help but shiver as their eyes pass over me, can't help but think that somehow they knew I was there all along.

Now, I am out and about in the halls again. There was a whole flurry of conversation among the guards of some "transfer," or a "move."

Another prisoner, probably another Sage, had been brought to the forsaken castle and was being moved down to the dungeons today, and I was curious to see who the unfortunate person was.

Thus another thrilling evening of perusing the halls of my damn prison. The halls are always the same. Dark, dank, depressing. They hum with a silence, and a raw power coming from _somewhere_, and I can always feel it, but can never place where it's from...

Stronger at times, weaker at others, it's like a constant pulse, familiar, yet mysterious, calling, but warning to stay away...

_Come away little lamb, come away to the slaughter..._

My eyes flitted shut.

Something wasn't right. Today that magnetic pull, that attraction I've felt, the connection, it's stronger, it's closer, it's...

"Here."

I gasp and open my eyes, realizing how stupid I was to speak.

Yet as I turned to run, I saw someone I never planned on seeing ever again.

There, striding confidently down the hall was my papa. My father, my dad, my daddy.

In that second, the numb acceptance I had built up within shattered, letting all my shut off happiness come flooding through.

_He came he came he came to save me I'm free Daddy's here it's okay Zellie Daddy's here_

His name rose in my throat, the words screaming to be free, my entire being waiting to hug him, let him hold me, know he loves me. But the words died quickly.

I can't just yell out at him! He's obviously come to rescue me, I'd give away his position!

Renewed with a new giddy energy, I skipped back to that dusty guest bedroom with the passage back to my prison.

_I'm free I'm free I'm freefreefree!_

Bursting into my room, a wide smile stretching across my face, I ran to the bathroom to brush my hair and make sure I looked semi-presentable for my papa. My papa! He's here! He's here!

Giggling at myself in the mirror, I wondered if I were insane. Through the gleam of happiness in my eyes, were there hints of insanity?

_Doesn't matter, Papa's here, doesn't matter, Papa's here!_

I let out another laugh, though this one was between a snort and a cackle. What do I care of insanity? I'm free, free, free as a bird!

Skipping back up the stairs, I flung myself into my bed and screamed my soul out into a pillow. I'm free. I'll be out of here, out of this cage, away from this hell that plays with my mind and tangles with my emotions.

Away from Midna, away from Nabooru, free from Zant...

_Free free free!_

I could feel that same strange pull again, growing stronger by the second, as if the source were climbing up the stairs to my tower.

_Give yourself so we might live anew..._

The power was humming, throbbing, getting closer, coming...

"Here."

The door flew open, and I let out another giggle of joy in spite of myself. There he was, walking into my prison.

"Daddy!" I squealed, leaping off my bed and running over to him, my arms wrapping around his waist and squeezing. "Daddy! I missed you so much! I just love you so much!"

_Missed you, I missed you I did so so so much missed you so love you so missed you so much!_

He didn't reciprocate my hug, however. He stiffened and pried me off of him, something in his weary eyes causing me to frown.

"Zelda..."

"Daddy! Come on, we need to get out, come on! Before Zant calls the guards and we're caught!" I cried.

Scurrying over to the bookshelf, I pressed the button in the woodworks and the passage slid open.

My father didn't budge an inch, he simply stared at a wall, his posture stiff, fists clenched, and face rigid. I ran over and grabbed his wrist, tugging a bit.

"Oh, Papa, I knew you would come, I knew you would save me! I was waiting, and now we can go, come on!" I urged, my hysteria rising.

Why wasn't he moving? Didn't he want to get out? What if Zant got to him like he got to Zelda and Nabooru?

"Zelda, please..."

"Papa, come _on_! We don't have much time! Zant will come, and he's crazy! He hurts me, Papa, and Midna and Nabooru do too, and I'm so confused and I don't know who to trust, but I can trust you, right Papa?" I asked, my voice almost a plea.

Was he in shock? Do I need to treat him? Oh no, I forgot how...

"Daddy?" I asked in a teeny voice.

"Zelda, stop," he said again, his voice begging me, his eyes pleading me.

"Stop what, Daddy? Daddy what's wrong? I love you, Papa, and whatever's wrong, I can help! I have magic now, and I can help you, what's wrong?" I asked, taking a few steps closer to him.

He must be sick! He was sick while I was away!

"No, Zelda," he said, eyes wide and stepping back.

"Daddy, what-"

"Stop Zelda! Now!" he roared, his hand whipping out and cracking across my cheek.

Stumbling back, I clutched my stinging cheek.

"Papa..."

"Stop calling me that!" he boomed, his eyes blazing with fury. "Stop calling me that!"

"Daddy, I don't understand..."

"I'm not even your father," he choked out, his face still twisted with rage. He laughed, a throaty cackle. "I've been pretending for eleven years, don't you see?"

"Papa... No..." I gasped, backing up a bit. "No, Papa stop..."

"You're not my daughter!" he screamed. "You;re the farthest thing from my daughter! _I _put you here, Zelda, don't you see? Zant works for _me_, it's always been _me_! And I am not your papa!"

"No... No!" I shrieked, tears streaming down my cheeks.

_Nonononono No!_

Happiness crumbled. The world shattered. No. No. No!

Memories came rushing back. A day on the beach. An arrow. A storm. A knife, a scream, running running, always running, and...

_"It's alright, my little princess. __Papa's here."_

"NO!" I screeched. "No, Daddy, it's me, your Zelda! I'm your daughter, it's me!" I sobbed, sinking to my knees and begging at his feet.

_It's me, you're wrong, I'm Zelda, your Zelda, your Princess remember me Daddy remember?_

"Your parents are dead, girl! I killed most of your family myself!" he thundered, his eyes flashing mercilessly.

_Mattie, Sissy, Zellie, Mommy, Daddy what's happening why_

"NO! NO! NO! N-N... no," I ended in a whisper, my voice cracking.

It was then that I collapsed in a heap on the floor, a sobbing wreck, My hair was plastered to my cheeks and in my mouth. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks, and sobs racked my body. My throat was already raw from screaming.

"Have this passageway sealed up," I heard him say. "Can't have her getting out anymore."

Footsteps padded around me, going to seal away my last freedom, my last hope.

What hope? Hope isn't real.

As the door to my prison closed, so did my happiness. My hope, my joy.

No no no. It's not real.

"Daddy," I choked out, my voice thick with tears.

"Daddy please, come back!"


	40. Chapter 39

**SORRY for the long update. It was probably 67 parts life and 33 parts procrastination. I hate people. A lot. Particularly the female species. Not all of them, just the some of the ones I know. Currently. FanFiction is just such a better, friendlier place. Thanks for that.**

**Aside from my pent up rant of angstness, thank you so very ever much to Arcane Valor, The-Azure-Heart, SkYeLiMiT, Echoing Wolf, Dazel, prien12 (700th reviewah!), blissis33 (seriously, thanks), Kamil the Awesome, CatMittens, JSMac, zeldax, Sheikagal, First of the Nentari, DarkOppressor, LoveMadness, Fabulanova780, NekoRose26, LauParisi, Allieo (twice! HA!), KaijuNight, Screen, Rinni Love, wolfboy, shhimaninja16, Farore64, pyrosavvy5, WolfenAmphithere, ShadowNinja1011, and Not-Alone-Anymore for reviewing! **

**I wish I could reach out through the screen and give you all one of the cookies I just made, but alas, technology doth not allow it and they're peanut butter. I don't want people dropping dead from allergies!**

**Also: HOLY MOTHER OF 700 REVIEWS! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT IS?! THAT'S LIKE 7x100, AND AND... 350x2! Okay. I'm happy. Thank you all so much.**

**~Leila**

**Song is excerpted from "Deliver Us", the opening song to the movie _The Prince of Egypt_, which is ****honestly one of my favorite movies.**

**Do yourselves a favor and go check out_ Acheronta Movebo _by tiger7210. First, the story is practically perfect in every way, and second, Tiger is awesome, so give that a read!**

**Not sure if I like this or not, the whole five timelines in one chapter thing, I mean, so give me your opinion please! Sorry again for the wait!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 39<p>

(Sheik)

_"Sheik, Aryll, run! Hide! They're coming! They're coming!"_

Navi's shrill voice cut through my hazy unconsciousness, and with a groan, I managed to open one eye.

Darkness greeted me, staring me straight in the face. A musty smell pervaded my nostrils, and something cold and wet dripped onto my face.

_Why am I here? What happened?_

Attempting to sit up, a burning pain seared through my head, and I heard the sound of ratting chains. I fell back down to the stone cold ground immediately, panic beginning to set in. My hands were bound, and a cuff was linked securely to my ankle. My heart thudded in my chest, and my breathing became faster and shorter.

_Oh Din, I failed, I failed, I __remember I failed..._

Suddenly the events of... Yesterday? Last week? Two weeks ago? How long have I even been here? Biting my lip, I struggled to recall that day, and what had exactly happened.

_"Sheik, Aryll, run! Hide! They're coming! They're coming!"_

_Turning quickly, I saw exactly who Navi was talking about. A large group of Bokoblins and Lizalfos were running at us at top speed, weapons at the ready._

_"Sheik..." Aryll said nervously, gripping my arm._

_"Aryll, run. Hide. You follow her Nav," I commanded, drawing my knife. _

_"Sheik, please, you can't possibly take them all at once," Aryll pleaded._

_"I told you to run, Your Grace," I snapped, urgency growing as the oncoming foes grew nearer and nearer._

_Protect her at all costs, I need to protect her at all costs..._

_"Aryll, seriously, they have knives. A lot of them. Sharp ones!" Navi squeaked, unsuccessfully trying to push Aryll along._

_The ten year-old sighed. "You better not get hurt, Sheik. I'm serious."_

_"I'll try my best, squirt. Now get lost."_

_I watched her as she dashed for the woods, golden hair streaming behind her. Navi nodded at me, muttering something unintelligible before zooming off after Aryll._

That's all I can remember clearly. The rest is a hazy, bloody blur. I killed a lot. There were a lot of bodies. I was injured. They just kept coming and coming, and there was more and more blood, and then I remember feeling a prick in my back, some sort of magic shock, and my legs giving out beneath me.

As I sank to the ground, my senses fading to sleep, I heard _his_ voice, Zant's cruel whisper,

_"You've failed, boy. The goddesses is mine. Poor, poor Sage, you've failed your precious goddess and nobody can save you now.."_

A shudder ran through me, and I could feel tears forming in my eyes. No! I didn't let him have her! I couldn't! Wouldn't!

I began pulling at my bonds, desperate to break free.

"Damn, damn, damn," I muttered as the rope dug into my skin, drawing blood.

Impa taught me how to get out of bonds, I remember... Letting my hands relax, I began to inch the bonds up along my hand, until finally they slipped off on their own. Paying no heed to my bleeding wrists, I began tugging at the chain, the metal clanking against the hard stone floor.

"Hey, hey, hey!" a voice boomed from the dark.

I froze, my senses buzzing, every nerve on edge.

"Who said that?" I hissed, my eyes darting around the room, hoping to catch a shadowy form somewhere in the dark.

"Calm down with that clankity-clankin', some of us are trying to sleep!"

"Who said that!" I repeated, raising my voice to a shrill yell.

"Whoa, buddy, take a chill pill," the voice said.

I now determined the echoing voice was coming from my left, and I directed my words there.

"'Take a chill pill'? I just failed the goddess of Hyrule! I will _not _'take a chill pill'!"

A deep chuckle resonated very near to me, and I jumped.

"You're new here," the voice said bitterly. "Eventually you'll figure out that the only thing you can do is relax and accept that there's nothing you can do and nothing they can't take away from you."

"Dar? What's going on?" a sleepy, obviously feminine voice called from a little bit down from me.

Where the hell am I?

"Newcomer, Lu. He's scared out of his wits and convinced he can escape."

"Another new one? Oh you poor dear," the girl, Lu, crooned sympathetically.

I really wished I could see these voices. As if reading my mind, Lu said,

"Dar, can you give us a light?"

Dar grunted, a little annoyed, and suddenly, a flame sparked out of nowhere, illuminating my new surroundings. My breath caught in my throat.

"I'm in a dungeon."

"That's looking at it dimly. I prefer to call it 'low-end confined living quarters'," Dar mused. I noticed he held the singular flame in his palm the way a child would display a caterpillar they caught on the playground.

Dar was a strong looking Goron man, with chiseled features and wide deep brown eyes. Lu was a pretty young Zora woman with long hair and big violet eyes. Both looked dirty and disheveled, as if they had both been down here for awhile. Which I guess that they have.

"It's a dungeon," a snide, familiar voice remarked. "And why are we up so early?"

"S-Saria?" I asked, searching for my little green friend.

"Sheik?!"

I located her in the cell across from Lu's, up on her knees, rubbing her eyes, whether in sleep or disbelief, I do not know. She was as dirty and mussed as the other two, still dressed in pajamas, her hair in two limp pigtails.

"Saria! Why are you here? What's going on?" I pleaded, grasping the bars of my cell.

_You failed, Sheik. You failed, Hylia, Sheik. You failed Hyrule, Sheik._

"Don't you know?" Lu asked, looking at me sympathetically.

I shook my head, finding that all words had failed me.

"We're Sages, Sheik," Saria stated calmly, managing a half-hearted shrug and a weak smile. "Destiny has awakened us, though a little rudely, and we were brought here to fulfill the Dark King's evil bidding. Now, I know this may come across as a shock, but-"

"No, Saria, I understand what's going on! I was leading Hylia to the Triforce Realm! I was leading her and I failed! I failed so bad!" I cried, feeling tears beginning to pool in my eyes.

_Failure, failure, Sheik is a failure..._

"Calm down there, son, it's alright," Dar said apprehensively, obviously trying to sedate my raging emotions.

"We've all had a rough time, Sheik, it's part of being a Sage," Saria told me in what she probably thought was a reassuring tone. All it really did was make me angrier.

"Did any of you just hear what I said? I'm _not _a Sage! I was leading _Hylia_, Her Grace the _fourth goddess_ to the Triforce Realm and I let her get _caught_! I failed the goddesses, dammit! I ruined everything!" I yelled.

And with that, I lost it. Quietly, though. Mentally.

Curled up in a corner, I choked back sobs and tugged at Teagan's necklace.

_I want Teagan, I need my mom, where are you Dad? I want Midna, and Teagan and Link and Mom and Dad and Aryll and I failed failed failed..._

It was with those thoughts in my mind and anguish in my heart that I finally drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

_Little ten year-old Aryll, in the hands of an evil maniac. She probably hates you. Link would hate you. You failed, you __despicable, disgusting, excuse for a Sheikah..._

* * *

><p>(Lulu)<p>

After about an hour, the boy's sobs, which he probably thought were quiet, subsided, and all was silent in the dungeons. Saria had drifted back to sleep, curled up tightly to preserve warmth. Her heavy breaths mixed with the new boy's, and those were the only sounds to be heard.

It hurt me to see them in a place like this. They are children, not even out of school yet, still living the innocence of their lives.

Yet now they are here, sleeping on stone floors with a shackle on their ankles, dirt, blood and sorrow staining their once pure innocence. Every time I look over and see Saria, little sweet Saria, with bags under her knowing green eyes, and her thin, malnourished limbs grasping the cold iron bars, her expression so desolately hopeless, it brings tears to my eyes.

She shouldn't have to feel that way. No one should.

Sighing, I turned to look at Darunia, who was looking at the flame he held with a bored contempt.

"How are you doing?" I asked him conversationally, knowing that neither of us would be getting any more sleep that night.

He grunted and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

I took that as a sign he didn't want to talk. Turning away from his light, I looked over at the pale moonlight streaming in from the barred window.

I remember when I first got here. Huddling in corners, shaking with sobs, tearing at my hair, constant pain. That's all I knew. Darunia coped in a similar manner, curling up in a ball and refusing to speak.

_He _terrified me. _He _kept telling me to do impossible things, like manipulate water with my hands, and warp puddles into doing my bidding. At first, I thought _he _was crazy. And then, I realized that magic was a part of me. Visions of a past sage came to me, explaining calmly who I was and what my mission was. Since that epiphany, life has been slightly better.

There is no more yelling, no more torture. Only the pain of knowing I am helpless.

_He _always speaks of unlocking my necklace.

At first, I was sure that _he _was completely and utterly insane. Now I know that all Sage's hold a key to the Triforce Realm within their Medallions.

_His _intentions are truly evil, _his_ plans cruel and heartless. _He _is the master chess player, moving us little pawns across the cold white and black checks, frozen in ivory, unable to move or control our actions.

Zelda offered me a meager bit of hope during all of these realizations. Her visits were always a light in the dark. She would always make me feel better, and eventually coaxed Darunia out of his silent state. The three of us would talk through our lives, and with our plans and dreams, life never was as dim as it used to be.

Now even Zelda has ceased to visit, and I fear something bad has happened to her, too.

"They're just kids, Lulu."

Darunia's voice drew me back to the warm light of the fire he held in his hand.

"Barely seventeen years old," he muttered. "When I was seventeen, I was still trying to decide if I wanted to be a scuba diver or an accountant when I grew up."

I cracked a small smile. "Accountant or diver, eh? Hard choice."

He smiled too, the fragmented ghost smile that seems to be the only form of smile we can manage nowadays.

"You know what I mean. They're young. They shouldn't be here. Think of the emotional trauma. Maybe I should be a therapist. I'd make plenty of money off these two right here," he sighed, looking over at the blonde boy, who was shivering slightly in his sleep, muttering under his breath.

"Yes, but we're plenty screwed up ourselves."

"You are, that's for sure. I'm still holding out on my own," he told me with a wink.

Sighing, he closed his fingers into a fist, extinguishing the flame and letting the moonlight wash over the dark room.

Silence settled over us as we pondered all the injustices and bad things in the world. As I thought, I remembered an old rhyme my mother used to say to me when I was a little girl going through a rough time.

_Everybody wants happiness, nobody wants pain. But you can't have a rainbow without a little rain._

Or in our case, a monsoon.

Grimacing, I turned over to go back to sleep, when I felt it.

That little flutter, something moving from within me.

I let out a soft gasp, and turned to Darunia.

"Dar!"

"Hm?" he murmured sleepily.

"Dar, c'mere quick!"

"Did it happen again?" he asked, suddenly alert and wide awake.

I nodded, and he shuffled over to the bars separating us. These little stirrings have been happening sporadically all this week. They're nothing significant, just slight movements.

Taking his hand gently, I placed it over my stomach. Holding our breaths in apprehension, we released it simultaneously as a small rustle came again, the barest of movements. Grinning genuinely, Darunia pulled his hand away.

"I can't believe it's moving already," he said in a hushed whisper, pride and admiration seeping into his tone.

Smiling, I placed my hands on my stomach.

Two weeks ago, I began to feel something move within me. At first, it terrified me. I was convinced _he _had placed some sort of demon parasite within me, some sort of black magic that was eating away at my soul.

Darunia had laughed at this proposition, suggesting that instead I was with child. I denied it for the better part of that week, insisting it was impossible for me to be pregnant, as I haven't been with anyone recently.

Dar was quick to remind me of Mikau back home, Mikau whose image in my mind had been blocked by all of the dark clouds of recent memories. It was then that I remembered a particularly romantic night we shared only a little before I was kidnapped.

After crying uncontrollably for about an hour, I finally came to the acceptance that I was indeed pregnant.

Now my unborn baby is a new hope for me, another ray of light to push me through the darkness.

"You're not even big yet," Darunia said, looking at my belly. "How can the baby already be developed enough to move?"

Running my hands over my stomach, where the slightest of bulges was beginning to become evident, I answered, "Zora babies develop extremities faster, allowing them to move earlier. However, it takes longer for a Zora fetus to grow. That's why when Zora preemies are born, the child is in no danger of dying of underdevelopment, but they will be way smaller than normal for the rest of their lives."

Darunia nodded. "How do you know all this? You're honestly extremely smart," he told me.

I grinned at him. "I was studying to be a doctor."

"And you run a cafe?"

"My parents weren't very happy."

He chuckled, the deep sound echoing in the stone dungeon.

"Well you better get some rest, Flunkie. You and Junior both," said, indicating my stomach with a yawn. "Night Lu, see you in the morning."

With that, he curled up into a tight ball and fell silent. Smiling at my friend, I brought my arms up, stretching my cramped limbs. Patting my stomach, as I have done every night for this week, I began to sing. It was an old Zora lullaby, based on our ancient hero Mösses, one that my grandmother Rutela used to sing to me before cancer ate away at her liver and took her to the Sacred Realm. She was the reason I wanted to be a doctor.

_Hush now, my baby_  
><em>Be still, love, don't cry<em>  
><em>Sleep as you're rocked by the stream<em>  
><em>Sleep and remember my last lullaby<em>  
><em>So I'll be with you when you dream<em>

_River, o river_  
><em>Flow gently for me<em>  
><em>Such precious cargo you bear<em>  
><em>Do you know somewhere <em>  
><em>he can live free?<em>  
><em>Nayru, deliver him there...<em>

As I finished, tears stung my eyes, and one made its way down my cheek and onto the tip of my nose.

_I'm scared. I'm terrified. I'm having a baby, Mikau's not here, having a baby in this hell, can't Nayru deliver me too?_

A warm hand grasped mine, causing me to jump. I saw Daruina smiling warmly at me through the bars, and he squeezed my hand reassuringly, as if to say, "It's alright. We'll make it through."

"Hey, don't cry," he whispered. "I thought we were both past the crying and shaking part."

Wiping tears away with the back of my hand, I reciprocated his squeeze.

"You're right. Thank you."

And there we stayed, awake all night, sitting in silence, generating the strength we'll need to get through tomorrow.

My poor, poor baby. It has no idea of the hell occurring just outside of its cozy warm home.

* * *

><p>(Teagan)<p>

"Like this?" Teagan asked, bending a lump of shade she held in her hand.

Impa nodded approvingly, her lips pressed into a thin line. She'd like to think that her stoic, painfully taciturn aunt was proud of her, but it was always hard to tell when her face was always fixed in a scowl. The scowl had become almost permanent now that she had begun training Teagan in her magic. Something was bothering her, but she knew her aunt and knew she would never speak a word of her personal thoughts and feelings.

"Very good. Now, I'm sure Mattie would appreciate it if you returned his shadow," Impa said, indicating the currently shadowless Mattie with a slight incline of her head.

Teagan turned to look over at Mattie, just in time to see him trip over a rock. Regaining his balance, he shot her a goofy grin that made her giggle before returning to staring at the ground.

Din, she didn't understand why he could make her feel so... so _fluttery_ with his stupid smiles and terrible jokes and he was such a _klutz_...

Feeling heat rising to her face, she quickly attached the shadow back to its owner and began staring at the ground herself.

Sure, he was weird. Completely and totally weird.

For starters, he never spoke a word all day. From the moment he woke up to when they set up camp for the night, he wouldn't utter a peep. After camp was set, it was like a dam broke, and you couldn't get him to shut up until he was asleep.

Then there was his staring at the ground habit. And despite the fact that he was looking at the ground, he managed to trip over ever pebble, stick, and root that crossed his path.

He was ditzy, distant, vague, confused...

Yet it was _him_, and she liked him for that. _  
><em>

Something was obviously up that neither he nor Impa would tell her, but she figured she would find out eventually. Or she would somehow figure out some mind-reading power and extract it from them by force.

The past few weeks or so had been a odd mix of wonderful and hell.

First off, her parents were dead, her brother was gone on some other mission. Second, she had to sleep on the ground and be up at the butt-crack of dawn every day. That didn't go well. Third, they were constantly walking, moving towards some goal she didn't know about. She knew she had some role in something. She had a title. Sage of Shadows. It sounded right, almost familiar to her. Yet she didn't quite grasp what it meant.

Then came the good, and in some ways, they pros outweighed the cons.

It was great to feel so adventurous and free. And there was Mattie. She had magic, and was being trained in using it. And Mattie was there. Also, Mattie was with them. Did she mention that?

A low chuckle brought her back to the current time. She looked up to find Impa looking at her with an amused expression.

Mother of Nayru, it _did _show emotions.

"What?" Teagan demanded sharply.

"Thinking about a certain blonde boy again, are we?" Impa asked with a smug grin.

Teagan almost fell flat on the ground.

"What?! That's ridiculous! Mattie's stupid!" Teagan declared defensively.

Impa laughed. "I never even said his name, Teagan. I could have been speaking about your brother."

She felt her face grow scarlet and shot a glare at her aunt. Damn her and her wily Sheikah ways. "Well... Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't."

"Mhm." Impa's crimson eyes darted over to where Mattie was stumbling along. "He's quite the catch, I will admit."

"Impa... Stop..." Tegan muttered, her face darkening a few shades.

"What? I promise you, he can't hear a word we're saying." Pausing, she then raised her voice to a shout. "Mattie! Your haircut makes you look like a girl!"

Proving her point, Mattie didn't react in the slightest. He only tripped over his own feet. After quickly regained his balance, he continued on his oblivious way, completely dumb to the world.

He was so naive.

"He doesn't look like a girl, I like his hair," Teagan said, feeling a little braver now that Impa had done that.

"The shaggy dog look does seem to be popular nowadays," Impa mused. "Both your brother and Link Carstairs sport a similar look."

Teagan laughed at this. "I'll agree with you on that one. Sheik's hair is disgustingly long. Not ponytail long, though. Once I walked in on Link attempting to do Sheik's hair up."

"You know, if Sheik wore a dress and curled his hair, he would look like a girl," Impa told Teagan seriously.

She snorted. "Ha! An ugly one!"

"I don't know, Tea, your brother has very delicate features, I imagine he'd get a few looks from guys-"

"Yeah, visually impaired ones with low standards."

The corners of Impa's mouth quirked into a smile. "Do you think Mattie would look like a girl? We could just call him Maddie-"

"Absolutely not! Sheik's ugly, whereas Mattie is extremely attractive-" Teagan bit down on her tongue, her eyes darting over to where the boy walked. Thankfully, his blank gaze was still fixed on the ground.

"So you _do_ like him," Impa said with a triumphant smirk.

Teagan really hated all her stupid smug looks. She liked it better when she thought Impa was a robot.

"Thinking someone is attractive and liking someone are two different things. For example, Vio from Waking Wind is the offspring of gorgeous and Nayru herself," she explained. "But it doesn't mean I like him in that way."

"You have to like some one a damn lot to call them 'the offspring of gorgeous and Nayru,'" Impa said dryly.

"Vio's different," Teagan insisted, drawing her long dirty blonde hair up and tying it with a fraying hair band.

"Because you're not in _looove _with him like you are with dear Mattie?" Impa practically sang, her eyes glittering as she teased her.

"Impa! I am not in love with him or anything along those lines!" Teagan hissed, very aware of the blush on her cheeks.

Her heart nearly stopped when Mattie's head popped up, his eyes urgent.

"Impa, is the Goron patriarch Darunia or Darmani?" he pressed.

Teagan's brow furrowed. Out of all random questions to ask.

"Darmani. His son is Darunia. Don't bring him up, though, he went missing a month ago."

He nodded briskly. "Right. Thanks."

And ducking back down, he slipped out of reality again.

"Impa, why the hell does he do that? It's extremely weird."

"Weird in an attractive way?"

"Quit it! You're dodging the question! Stop being a question dodger!"

"I'm no question dodger. But he might want to explain himself. It gets a little complicated," Impa told her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it does," she muttered.

Impa did not reply, and they lapsed into silence. Teagan couldn't help but notice how inactive the forest was. No animals prowled the shadows at night, and none frolicked during the day. Not even birds flew in the skies and nestled and trees.

Everything was still and silent and-

A flicker of movement in the woods to her right caught her attention. _Flash of gold, glimpse of white-_

Turning on her heel, she saw a girl running barefoot through the woods. Blinking rapidly, she grasped Impa's arm.

"Do you see..." her voice trailed off as the forest began to fade into a stone hall, the picture becoming more and more vivid.

_Matted gold hair, flying behind her, torn white dress, stained with blood, ripped to shreds-_

Impa had told her that Sages could see visions, and the Sages of Light and Shadow were especially prone to these visions. Visions of the past, the present, and glimpses of what was to come. This was Teagan's first experience with this sort of thing, and it honestly terrified her.

She was in the hallway now, actually standing in a cold stone corridor. The girl was running. A man clothed in black robes was running after her.

_"There's nowhere you can go, my little bird,"_ he called, his voice dripping with barely concealed glee and insanity. _"I've caught the birdy in a cage, and now she can't get out!"_

Teagan felt a huge wave of obligatory compulsion to protect this girl, and she went chasing down the hallway after the man.

_"Little bird, little bird, fly away home!" _the man mocked, his voice shrill.

The girl turned a sharp left, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. She did look like an angel, Teagan thought. A broken and lost angel with wings too bruised to fly.

Running closely behind, the man turned the corner after her. His footfalls were practically nipping her heels.

_"Ut Misericordia et Protection, fideles dominas esse apud me in hoc tam dirum hora," _the girl began to chant in ancient Hylian. Teagan recognized it as an old prayer used for warding off evil. Though she had no idea how such a young girl would know of such an old prayer.

_"Manere latus meum, velantium me cum tuum benedictum alas, faciens sicut scutum meum ex malo quod frequentat me iam nunc-"_

She was cut off by her own scream as he caught up to her and forced her up against a hard stone wall. Something in her scream made me angry, made me want to fight for her, to save this little girl.

Her glare was sharp and piercing, her lips bared into the snarl, her breathing fast as the man held her pinned up against the corridor wall.

_"Prayers will do nothing for you now, little birdy," _he sang, smiling sadistically as he brushed a long strong of ratted hair from her face. _"No one up there will answer you."_

She spit on his face. "_Such conceit," _she hissed, with such malice it sounded wrong coming from such a small child's mouth. _"If you really think you have the power to get away with such a foolhardy __plan, then I will risk everything to deny you!'_

Not bothering to wipe the girl's saliva from his face, the man chuckled, a hideous rasping sound, as if someone were dragging a charred piece of wood over a bed of nails.

_"My little goddess, my dear Hylia, you do not understand that this 'foolhardy' plan is already comple-"_

He stopped, as if sensing something, and straightened up. Turning around, his bright orange eyes met Teagan's, seemingly burning into her skull.

_"Well, well," _he said softly. _"It seems as though we have a visitor."_

He began to walk towards her, slowly, his eyes never leaving her own. Teagan began to back away as well, until she met the cold wall of stone that blocked her path to freedom.

_Run run run and hide-_

_"Yes, an unwanted visitor, one of shadows," _the man murmured, a grotesque smile on his face. _"Might as well send our guest a welcome gift."_

Suddenly pain was all Teagan knew, a red hot, blinding white searing pain that fried her nerves and electrified her brain. She collapsed to the ground, crying in agony. Each limb was being dipped in lava while simultaneously being stabbed repeatedly with sharpened glaives.

_stop stop stop STOP-_

"Stop!" she screamed, sinking to her knees on the grass of the forest. "Stop!"

"Teagan!" Impa cried, shaking her shoulders. "Teagan, come back, you're here, you're safe!"

Trembling, Teagan looked up into her aunt's wide, blood-red eyes.

_Blood on her d_ress-

"Teagan, calm down. You had a vision. Now tell me, what did you see?" Impa asked calmly, gripping her shoulder's firmly.

"All the puzzle pieces are fitting into place," Teagan whispered, the words not her own but coming from an unknown source inside her. "His plans are succeeding and there is little else to do!"

* * *

><p>(Matthew)<p>

The dissonant clash of blades, accompanied by a tenor and bass section of exerted grunts, played symphonically through the training grounds.

My own sword crashed against another, locking in a tense embrace before the pressure was suddenly released, sending me stumbling backwards. The blade came again, arcing smoothly down at me, only to be intercepted by my shield.

The collision produced a satisfying clang, and my opponent was momentarily thrown off, allowing me to regain my own lost balance.

After a moment of circling each other, he struck again, fast, but not quite fast enough. Catching the blade with my own, I used his momentum and flicked my wrist, effectively sending his sword toppling to the ground.

Commander Rusl smiled at me, breathing heavily. "You sure are talented, boy," he commented, stooping down to retrieve his weapon. "You'll do good out there."

I smiled and nodded back. "Thanks."

With a small bow, he jogged off towards the masses of sparring men, looking to help Captain Viscen with the trainees.

Running a hand through my hair, I leaned against a wall- and tripped over another root, Din you are such a _klutz_- and basked in the rare down time. My days have been long, active, and stressful this past week or so.

My delicate peace was shattered by yet another voice

"Your Majesty!"

I looked up to see an officer whose name escaped me at the moment- snickering at something Impa said, she's so funny. Behind him was a young man who I had come to know as Shad, the nam I also call my scholar friend.

From day one, this man had managed to draw attention to himself. He came into the castle very upset, insisting that the Draft Department had spelled his name wrong on his letter. At first, they tried to tell him that it probably meant Shad _Skylotan_, who was off helping with foreign affairs, not him, Shad _Skilotian_.

Yet he produced the letter, which would have been impossible to acquire, as he came from a region neighboring Castle Town and could not have the other Shad's letter, and proved that they indeed spell his name wrong. Shad Skylotan got lucky.

Since then, he has excelled in training, beating nearly every challenging opponent, even Viscen himself a few times.

They stopped before me, and bowed as usual, though where the unknown officer's was practically sweeping the floor, Shad simply inclined his head, his blue eyes never leaving mine.

Something about this blue-eyed, raven-haired man struck me as familiar, though I couldn't quite place the feeling.

"Your Majesty, Mister Skilotian has been, well, um, bored today, and Captain Viscen thought that a sparring match with you might, um spice up his training and challenge you," the officer stammered.

I looked Shad over. He was awfully skinny and short for someone around my age. I would have thought he was younger than me, though Viscen said he was two years older. He was right handed, and wielded a thin-bladed sword called a rapier. No shield.

"Alright, Mister Skilotian," I said, stepping forward- and slipping on loose gravel, son of a bi-

"Drop the formalities. Call me Shad," he told me bluntly.

"Fine. On your ready."

Discarding my shield, I gripped my broadsword and stood before him. We began circling each other, our eyes locked. Why is he so familiar, dammit?

Suddenly, he broke the circular pattern and thrust forward, almost stabbing my unprotected side. Nimbly, I leapt to the side and took my own swing at him. He caught my sword and pushed it down, nearly succeeding in disarming me.

I broke the connection and jumped back a bit, biting my lip. This guy is good. No wonder he was bored with Viscen's beginner drills.

Licking my lips, I blocked few powerful swings followed by a series of quick blows, each well placed and right after the next. Even his fighting style was somewhat familiar.

Fast and aggressive, yet strong. That took a skilled fighter. Usually people tended to be fast but weak, or strong but slow. A balance between the two was possible, but hard to achieve.

Grunting, I shoved him back, catching him off guard just enough for me to strike and-

"Absolutely not! Sheik's ugly, whereas Mattie's extremely attractive-"

-She thinks I'm attractive. Teagan thinks I'm attractive-

"Head's up!"

I snapped back into this reality just in time to dodge a huge arcing swing. Shad glared at the officer who had warned me of his assault, biting his cheek in annoyance. Someone else I know does that when they're angry or frustrated.

_She thinks I'm attractive, good looking, which means she likes me, she likes me!_

"Pay attention, you're off your game!" Shad snapped, his sword at my neck. My face burned red, partially from embarrassment, partially because Teagan thinks I'm attractive.

-"Because you're not in _looove_ with him like you are with dear Mattie?"-

This time I was awakened from my stupor by a slap in the face and an arm pinned painfully behind my back.

"If you can't pay attention, I'll play dirty," Shad hissed in my ear, shoving me forward.

Growling, I spun around quickly, my blade instantly connecting with his. Damn cheat.

Pressing him back with a few strong blows, I watched him grow tired under my strong, pressing strikes. Backing him into a checkmate, I prepared for the finishing blow-

"Your Majesty!"

I swore colorfully under my breath, causing Shad to smirk.

"Yes?" I demanded, angry that they felt the need to interrupt me all the damn time-

-"Because you're not in _looove _with him like you are with dear Mattie-"

"The Goron patriarch is here to speak with you about fighting alongside each other. He says he will be out in about ten minutes," the messenger, Talo again, told me. He looked proud that he was able to remember a message that long.

"Right. Thanks Talo."

Moment of panic, I forgot the partiarch's name. Dar something, Darunia, or Darmani? I have a 50-50 shot...

Slipping away from the courtyard, I immersed myself into the woods.

"Impa, is the Goron patriarch Darunia or Darmani?" I asked urgently.

She wasn't fazed at all by random question and answered smoothly.

"Darmani. His son is Darunia. Don't bring him up, though, he went missing a month ago."

Darmani. Right. Darmani.

Resurfacing into the courtyard, I found Shad looking at me with concern.

"You okay there? You seemed a little... vague for a moment."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've been in the sun all day," I lied easily.

He nodded. "The sun does that to you sometimes, ye- you know?"

I looked over at him questioningly. _The sun does that to you sometimes, yeah?_

"Where are you from, Mister Skilotian?" I asked in what I thought was a casual tone.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, that's none of your damn business."

Shrugging, I cast a sideways glance at him. He was biting his cheek again. "I was only curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," he reminded me. "Now, thank you for the challenge, however I think I'm going to assist Tetris over there," he said, gesturing at a young blonde boy, who was obviously struggling. "He needs all the help he can get."

I nodded, understanding. "Thank you. Maybe you could help some of the other younger recruits as well?"

"Am I being promoted?"

"For the time being. You're an extremely skilled fighter."

A small smile crossed his lips. "As are you. Thank you, Your Majesty."

I watched him as he walked away and began picking out those who were struggling most. A small, nagging thought whispered from the back corners of my mind, the same thought that had been bothering me for awhile.

We can't do this. Not even with exceptionally talented men, such as Shad and Viscen. We can't pull it off.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Darmani stalking towards me, a smile on his face, and he was no doubt ready to sweep me up into one of his bone-crushing hugs.

Plastering a smile on my face, I dismissed those thoughts and prepared my internal organs for the compression to come.

_We can't do it. We'd need a hero._

* * *

><p>The young man was running, running, never tiring. He had been running and running for hours and hours, though not once did he stop.<p>

Darkness was falling, and if one were to look closely at the boy, you could see an unearthly golden light radiating from his body. Magic hummed in the air around him, and you could tell instantly this was a being from the heavens.

_The Triforce fueled him, needed to get to Hyrule castle NOW-_

He was running, his mind blank of all thoughts except for those of his destination. He left all his trouble in his other track of mind. All this being needed to do was run and run and run.

_Being two people isn't too hard, I just need to keep moving, I need to get there-_

Little Pipit looked out his window, as the child of six often did before bed, wishing on the stars as many children do. Though as his lips formed the words of his childish prayer, his eyes detected another motion, a flash of golden light.

_Running, running, just keep running-_

Blinking, Pipit watched as a boy, glowing golden like the stars themselves ran past his remote house on the outskirts of the Kokiri Forest. He seemed to illuminate the woods, which were usually dark and scary at night, reducing them to the friendly group of trees they were during the daytime.

He looked like he was going somewhere, Pipit decided.

_Hyrule, I need to get to Hyrule-_

Somewhere probably important, for him to be running that fast.

Leaning out his window to watch the figure disappear over the horizon, Pipit questioned whether or not he actually saw the boy, or is his mother was right about spending too long in the sun.

The sun did those kinds of things sometimes, you know.

_Running to Hyrule, got to get to Hyrule, running to Hyrule-_

* * *

><p><strong>I kept typing 'her' and 'she' so much during the sparring scene between Matthew and AsheiShad, so if I missed one, tell me! **


	41. Chapter 40

**A whole bunch of you asked where Link was, and here he is! Stuff is all coming together now, we're getting closer to the end! And just an odd fact: Reality has been in the works for a year now. Huh. Never thought it would take me this long, yet here we are...**

**Thank you sosososososososososososososo soso very very muy muy much to Guest, xCrimsonLoftwingx, Quibids13, The-Azure-Heart, Kamil ****the Awesome, Jupsi, Katia0203, Hyliaelvulcanish Bard of Death, Arcane Valor, NekoRose26, LoveMadness, KaijuKnight, WolfenAmphithere, Screen, tiger7210, Allieo, LauParisi, Illusion Island, Rinni Love, ShadowNinja1011, Halcyon Electric, and DarkOppressor for reviewing! As tiger7210 pointed out, this is the sixteenth most reviewed fanfic in the Zelda category, that honestly means so much, thank you! **

**Read on, and enjoy! Don't hesitate to drop a review because I love hearing what you think!**

**Also I published a long one-shot/potential two-shot called 'If Life Were Disney.' It's not even depressing at all, it's actually quite fluffy! Check it out please! _And read Abscondita: The Victura by anidnawind. _It's quite good.**

**~Leila**

**This contains some elements from a one-shot I wrote a looong long time ago in a galaxy far away called Mother's Love. It's not terribly good, but it explains some of the concepts in deeper context.  
><strong>

**I'm ashamed to say I used a song from the Backyardigans. And that I listen to it sometimes before I go to bed. Almost sixteen and listening to children's show music to help me sleep, what have I come to?!**

* * *

><p>(Chapter 40)<br>(Link)

"You're making it go crooked!"

Fi looked up at me, the sea winds whipping her hair around causing her dress and cape to billow around her. "I am not."

"You are too, Miss Snarky-Pants, we're supposed to be going due south, and we're going southeast!"

"So sue me."

Looking up from the map, I shot her an evil glare. "Maybe I will if you can't do your damn job right."

She stuck her chin out in defiance and went back to manning the tiller like she was supposed to be doing. Stupid Fi.

From Kakariko, we rode the night's journey to Dragon Roost where we were able to get our hands on an odd little boat, which was carve like a lion and painted all red. _The King's Pride, _the man who sold it to us called it. _  
><em>

After tying a makeshift sail to the mast with a series of complicated knots, Fi knelt by the tiller in the rear and appointed me the job of "Navigator," which I think was her polite way of saying, "Stay the hell out of my way and don't touch anything because you'll probably screw it up."

We were well on our way to the next Trial, which unfortunately took place on the accursed Outset Island. To say the least, I was _not _very enthusiastic about returning to my birthplace. I wasn't even very happy about traveling by boat, as it reminded me too much of my makua kane, but as Fi so blatantly put it, it's either sail or swim.

Naturally, I chose the stupid boat. There could be sharks or something.

"Can you tell about how much further?" Fi asked, looking up from steering the rudder.

"Uh, I'm not exactly proficient in reading sea charts, but... Maybe like fifty or sixty miles?" I guessed, squinting at the map that came with the boat.

Damn, it's so messy it looks like a fish jumped out of the water and wrote it!

"I'll hold you to that. If you're wrong, I'm throwing you into the ocean. If I'm lucky a squid will mistake you for a whale and swallow you whole," she told me.

"You can't do that, you need me alive," I reminded her.

"Eh, there are two of you now. If one fails, we have backup."

Rolling my eyes, I went back to staring at the squiggly outline representing Outset on my map. That's right, I have a _dimidium. _Really, I haven't given my duplicate very much thought. At first it was a pain in my derrière, and I was running into everything. Then I figured out I can transfer the full power of the Triforce between my two bodies, like a pipeline.

When the Triforce is fully consecrated inside my _dimidium_, it runs on its own, and even better, with super-human strength. So I don't need to worry too much about commanding it, as long as I give it basic commands like "run to Hyrule Castle," and it gets there faster without need for rest or food. Once I actually get into the war, like Koume and Kotake insist I need to, _that _will be more of a challenge.

But for now, it's not one of my main focuses. It's just something I'm vaguely aware of right now, like a nagging in the back of my mind and the random flash of an image from somewhere else in Hyrule. If I concentrate, I can submerge myself into the other consciousness and see where he is, but I haven't gotten the hang of that yet.

"Just because there's two doesn't mean you can drown me!"

"You can swim, you're a big boy."

"Fi, you're extremely mean," I informed her, checking the compass again. Still southeast, dammit.

"You sure say that a lot, but I don't think you mean it. I think you enjoy my company and find me rather endearing," she said, looking up at him with her blank face.

"No, I really mean it. You are most certainly _not _endearing, nice try though. And you're still going the wrong damn way!" I snapped at her.

"Just because we're going a _few degrees_ east does _not_ mean we're going the wrong way! Outset is in the east section of the southern part of the Great Sea anyway!" she snipped back.

"And how do you know this?" I demanded.

"I know everything, remember?"

Rolling my eyes, I pushed the green-bean hat back on my head. It made my head all hot and sweaty. "Dinssake, this is ridiculous. Never mind, you little know-it-all. But if we end up way over at Windfall, I have every right to chuck you into a whirlpool."

"No you don't. That would be rude."

"You were just talking about feeding me to the squids!"

"Yes, but there's two of you and one of me," she pointed out. If she could, she would be smirking right now, the little brat.

Turning back to the front of the boat, I leaned on the lion's head and gazed out over the ocean. Occasionally we would hit a breaker, and sea spray would mist my face, causing me to quickly squeeze my eyes shut to avoid the sting of salt water in my eyes. I didn't mind, though. Stinging salt aside, it felt nice, almost like home.

Yet home isn't always a good thing. In my experience, home has always been a very, very bad thing.

Surprisingly, I'm dreading this Trial more than I was the last one. Where most people would be terrified of entering the Realm of the Dead, I practically wet myself when I think about reliving any of my past.

I just know it'll be _that_ day, that one terrifyingly awful day-

"Link?"

Shaken out of my thoughts, I turned back to Fi biting my lip. "Y-yeah?"

"Why don't you get to sleep? You're awfully tired. Would you like to hear a story?" she asked, cornflower eyes wide.

She knows what I was thinking. That was a deliberate ploy to get me away from thinking about that. She's a tricky little weasel, that Fi, but I think I'm starting to like her company. Sort of. I add that only because I know she has this nasty habit of reading minds.

"That's not a nasty habit, picking your nose is a nasty habit," she remarked. "Now do you want a story or not, you little twat?"

I grinned. Only Fi would call someone a twat. "Yeah, lay your story down for me. I bet you have plenty of them, being an old lady. I'm game as long as none of them start with 'When I was a boy...'" I told her cheekily.

"Considering I am a female, you are in no danger of a story beginning with that phrase. Now, shut up like a good boy and listen," she instructed.

Rolling my eyes, I lie down on the wooden planks of the boat, stretching and attempting to get comfortable. "You better be good at telling stories," I told her. "And I don't want some girly old-lady fairytale."

"I'll try to keep it interesting. I profusely apologize for any eye-closing boredom I may cause," she drawled dryly, crossing her arms. Now, are you ready to shut the hell up and listen?"

"I didn't know you swore!"

"When I was a girl, women could tell stories without a loud-mouthed man interrupting them-"

"I'm listening, start the story."

"Well that was an effective way to catch your attention. I'll file that away for future knowledge," Fi quipped cheerily. Yet like always, there was no smile to support her happy tone.

"Are you even going to tell a story, or are you just going to make fun of me?" I sighed, stretching before propping my chin up. "And on second thought... Um..."

"What?"

"Can- can you sing? I always fell asleep best to... to songs," I admitted quietly.

She was silent for a moment, staring off into the distance, studying the glassy blue sea with her equally glassy blue eyes. "Yeah, I can sing," she said finally. "But I'll warn you, I haven't sang a note in a long time. A long, long time."

"I dont mind," I told her. "As long as it is mostly on pitch and it's soothing to the soul, I'm good."

"Mostly on pitch and soothing to the soul, got it," she repeated. It was silent as she thought for a moment, and then she turned back towards me. When she opened her mouth, I was awed.

"Rest my little darlin', you've had a busy day. The sun is a fallin', and it's time for me to say. Hush, hush, hush little mermaid goodnight, hush, hush little mermaid sleep tight, close your eyes close your eyes and lay down your head in your peaceful ocean bed. Have a snooze, please, like I said, and hush, hush, hush little mermaid goodnight. Hush little mermaid sleep tight."

Her voice was beautiful. The song, however odd, was gorgeous and most definitely soothing to the soul. My eyelids were drooping already, when I hadn't been tired two seconds before. Is she using magic? At this point I was too tired to care.

"You're feeling kind of sleepy, you're feeling kind of loopy, your fins are getting floppy and your eyelids getting droopy. May your dreams be sweet as you fall into a snooze. Perhaps again we'll meet, but now we have to cruise."

Her voice was wavering now, though I didn't really notice. I was so comfortable, and the boards of the boat had soaked up the sun rays... So warm...

"So hush, hush, hush little mermaid goodnight, hush, hush little mermaid sleep tight, hush, hush little mermaid, hush little mermaid... goodnight."

The song ended, and with much effort, I turned to look up at Fi. She was looking down at me, and I swore I saw a single silver tear fall from her emotionless eyes before I slipped into the waiting darkness, submerging myself in dreams.

_I was in the Temple of Time. Stained glass windows cast rainbow glows across the wooden pews. All the candles were lit. My feet were bare, against the cold marble of the floor._

_Kneeling before the alter was Rauru. His red robes were pooled around him as he prayed, his lips moving in a frantic manner. _

_"Custodi me a malis eripe me laedat. Scio ego cum vestris armis tutus eris," he murmured, opening his eyes to cast a __reverent glance up at the magnificent statue of the Mighty Four._

_"Your prayers will do you little."_

_A new voice, a malicious, snakelike rasp cut through the holy silence of the Temple. It echoed off the walls, smothering me. The temperature seemed to lower. The candles blew out._

_"Prayers show strength in faith," Rauru replied evenly, not turning to face the new visitor. _

_"Prayers show weakness. They show you have no confidence in yourself, only blind hope in ethereal beings above. Your prayers are desperate calls int the dark, hoping someone will hear you."_

_A dark robed figure roved up the aisle, stopping directly behind Rauru. A second figure followed behind the first, this one cloaked as well, but slender and more feminine. She hadn't spoken a word._

_"I see you've brought your little puppet. Really, Zant, has it gotten to the point where you need to hide behind helpless girls to do your work for you?" Rauru asked coldly, turning around for the first time._

_Zant grinned cruelly, turning to run a hand suggestively down the girl's figure. She did not move. She did not speak. "I do not hide. She does whatever I tell her to, and she likes it. Don't you, Midna dear?"_

_My eyes widened as the girl took her hood off, revealing flaming red hair cascading down her __back. Her face was like a statue's: cold and unmoving. I tried to yell for her, but no noise came out. _

_"Is he using you?" Rauru asked her gently. "Controlling you, forcing you to do horrible things against your will? I can help you," he told her. Midna's face began to quiver, a battle raging behind her eyes. "I can help you be free-"_

_Midna's face twisted into sick rage, her hair flying up to form a hand. The magic hand grabbed Rauru, slamming him against the Temple wall with a sickening thud. "I'm way beyond help, old man," she snarled, glaring up at Rauru, who writhed and moaned in her grip. "And I'm happy right where I am!"_

_With that, she flung him out of her hand, sending him crashing into the pews. Her hair retracted, back into its normal place, and she cast a sweet smile at Zant, who grinned at her in return. _

_Walking over to where a bloodied Rauru lie, Zant knelt down beside him._

_"See, Rauru old pal, there was never any point in resisting. We won. We won from the start, and you and the goddesses never had any chance in succeeding. You were our last Sage to obtain, and we have the little goddess girl," he said, savoring the shocked look on the grizzled man's face. "Yes, Hylia is ours. Now all that's left is to collect the nuisance of a hero, and assure you he will be no trouble at all."_

_"He... will stop... you," Rauru croaked, grimacing with each sound he formed. "No... chance... you- win."_

_Zant sighed. "That is where I'm afraid you're wrong, friend. Now, goodnight. The Master is eagerly awaiting your arrival."_

_With that, he smashed the man's head against the marble, and the picture around me shattered._

"Link."

My eyes snapped open, my breathing ragged. "Fi, what, Rauru, he's in trouble, Midna-" I cut myself off, taking a few deep breaths.

_It was just a dream. It's always just a dream, Link, when you open your eyes it's over..._

"Bad dream?" she guessed.

"Yeah. It was weird. Very..." I scrambled for the word. "Vivid."

"Past Bearers of the Triforce have been known to have prophetic dreams, though typically it is the princess who sees these visions. Still, it's quite possible that what you saw actually happened, or is going to happen," she told me.

"Oh," I mumbled, stretching and sitting up. "Well then that's not good."

"What did you see?" she asked curiously.

"Well, Zant, the guy who... um..."

"Go on," Fi prompted.

"Yeah anyway, he was confronting Rauru, this old guy at the Temple of Time who gave me, uh, you, and he kept calling him a 'Sage' or something. Then, my old friend Midna was there, and she was evil and her hair like turned into a hand and she threw the poor guy halfway across the Temple, and then Zant kept saying stuff about having all of the Sages and having Hylia, though I think that might be a code because you can't have a goddess," I relayed.

Fi was silent. I watched her expressionless face patiently as she computed all I just said. Had I imagined that one, single tear? She can't cry, can she?

"Well shit," she said finally.

I blinked. "Um, I kind of was getting this whole saintly holier-than-thou vibe from you, and you're totally screwing that up, so can you not use vulgar profanities to upkeep your image? I mean-"

"Shut up!" she snapped. "This is more serious than I thought... You need to complete that Trial, and fast," she told me.

"Why? What's going on? Fi, I'm actually confused-"

"Look, there's Outset."

"Are you trying one of those stupid 'made you look' things? Because we are _not _already at Outset, I'm not dumb- Oh Din."

There, looming before us, was Outset. Dinssake, I wasn't asleep for that long, was I? A cold feeling of dread wormed its way into my stomach, quickly tunneling to my heart. We can't be here, Fi was going too far east, we passed it, this is the wrong island!

"We should be docking in approximately five minutes," Fi informed me.

No. No. Nonononono. I have five minutes to think of an excuse, five minutes to get away, five minutes to jump off the boat and _swim away_...

"Actually, uh, I'm contracting Island fever," I lied, fidgeting. "Going there might make it worse."

"'Island fever' isn't real," Fi said. "It's an Outset myth, you little weasel. Nice try, though."

Cursing under my breath, I turned to look back at the approaching island. It was getting closer by the second, growing with each inch we traveled, looking like a monster ready to swallow the entire boat whole.

We were so close, I could make out the running forms of children on the beach, and hear their happy screams as the waves crashed down over them. Swallowing hard, I turned away. Why am I doing this? Why am I here?

"You're here to do your Trial," Fi answered. "Focus on the Trial, not everything else."

Not everything else. Not the fact that my parents _died _here, that I watched, that I did _nothing_...

"Help me dock." Fi's voice shattered my thoughts.

Numbly, I took the rope she handed me. I can't do this. I can't can't can't.

"Can, can, can. Now get out of the boat and help," she coaxed softly, offering me her hand. I took it, allowing her to pull me out of the boat. She was surprisingly strong. Though she came out of my sword, I'm not sure what's a surprise anymore.

Absently, I tied _The King's Pride_ to the old sea-worn dock, with a knot like my makua kane showed me. Yanking it tight, I stood up, brushing the sand that was in the cracks of the wood off my hands. I forgot how the sand stuck everywhere. How it always clung to you. The sand at Castle Town never did that. Only Outset.

"Now all we need to do is find that Gate, complete the Trial, and leave. Easy," Fi assured me, giving my arm a squeeze. "You can do it, Mr. Important Hero."

"No, I'm not sure if I can," I muttered, stepping off the dock and onto the worn brick path that led down to the bridge that connected the two halves of the island and led to the main town.

My house, it was so close, I could see it, less than ten feet away...

"Sure you can!" she quipped cheerily, almost too much so. "Just gotta look for clues, Linklock!"

"Link-what?"

"Linklock! Like Linklock Holmes, get it? I can be Fison, your trusty sidekick," she told me, elbowing me.

"Fison... Like Watson?"

"Gee, you catch on fast," she said dryly, rolling her eyes, then looking around. "Gosh, this place has changed so much since I've been here last."

"You've been here?" I asked incredulously.

"Sure! Not in person, though. I've been here via Master Sword," she clarified, tapping the hilt, which glowed in response to her touch.

"It's still really weird to think that you've toured the entire world while cramped up inside a weapon," I told her, forcing a weak grin for her benefit.

"And I still think that your hat is really weird. Don't judge my method of transportation," she said, stopping and surveying the island around her. "Alright, Linklock, where's the Trial Gate?"

"I don't know. Why would I know?" I asked, stopping next to her.

Already, people were staring at us, whispering. My face burned, my heart pounded. They knew, they had to, they knew I was a partial murderer who did nothing to save them...

"Nonsense. You're dressed like a walking string bean, and I'm..."

"Blue," I filled in, relieved.

Okay, that's probably the more likely explanation as to why they're staring. It's not every day that you see a guy in tights parading around town next to a girl with blue skin.

"So stop stressing yourself and focus on the Trial," Fi said calmly. "Are there any potential places you think the Gate could be?"

"Well, the Gate would be somewhere special, right? There's two special places I can think of. Up in the woods on the cliffs, there's an old fairy's fountain. And way over there somewhere is the kihapi aloha," I told her, pointing.

"Ka-what aloha?"

"Ki-ha-pi. Kihapi," I stressed for her. "It means 'field of love.' When you're getting married, you bring your lover there to complete the official ceremony. We believe everyone on Outset has their own nohea pua, which means lovely flower," I added, even though I'm sure Fi already knows, "And on your wedding night you go pua picking. My makuahine says that you can tell your spouse's pua because it glows. It's supposed to represent them, and after exchanging flowers and saying a prayer, you're married. The end."

"Sounds right to me," Fi said. "Lead the way?"

"Yeah sure," I sighed, starting down the trail again.

It was a nice day. No clouds hung above to block the sun, letting it beat down with full force on the white sandy beaches. I remember running barefoot through that sand, it feels like sugar. There were small waves lapping up against the shore with not too much wind to disturb the azure water. Palm trees ruffled in the little breeze there was, and the whole island smelled pleasantly like hibiscus, which appeared in many colors on various bushes.

Fi followed behind me as I led her down a worn dirt path, a canopy of trees hanging overhead. Calls of birds and screeches of monkeys could be heard, along with the ever-present ocean.

Finally, the tunnel of trees broke, opening into a meadow filled with dozens of gorgeous flowers, each different from the next. We stood for a moment, surveying the landscape, before Fi spoke.

"Wow, It's beautiful here."

"Sure is," I agreed.

"Do you have a flower here? A pua, I mean?" she inquired. "And if your love is not from Outset, will she have one to? Or he, not judging."

I snorted. "Yeah, as long as one is from Outset, both in the marriage will have a pua. Yes, I have one. Somewhere. But I can't find it, only my aloha 'ia can," I answered. "And that means beloved."

Fi nodded. "Wonderful. Now, sappy time is over. Let's get down to business."

No. No it's time to stall. "Um, actually, can we go into town and get ice cream? I'm hungry. Have you ever had ice cream, Fi? It's delicious, why don't you try some now-"

"Stop that Link! You have to do this! We don't have time to skip through meadows of flowers or taste ice cream anymore, okay? We're out of time. The Dark King has a _goddess_ in his hands, Link. A _goddess_. Play time is over, it's time for the big-boy stuff," she yelled, eyes flashing.

Did I see anger? Yet the glint was gone as quickly as it was there. Swallowing hard, I nodded.

"Okay. Fine." Bringing my Triforce hand up to my face, I whispered "Locate."

**_'_**_Imi._

A golden shockwave pulsed from my feet like the last time, only now it was dimmer, not as strong, as my Triforce was mainly concentrated in my dimi-whatever.

_'Imi._

The golden ripples concentrated at a spot not too far away, and a circular pattern of runes appeared again, those these ruins were blue, not purple like they had been in Kakariko.

Letting my hand fall to my side, I turned to Fi.

"Now what?" I breathed, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.

_Bad idea, bad idea, you __can't do this bad idea!_

She gestured to the Gate. "Go right on ahead," she said softly. "You can do it, Link, it's only a Trial of the mind. It'll only be as bad as you make it to be."

And I make it to be bad. Very bad.

Nodding, I stepped forward into the center of the glowing blue circle. Once again, I watched the ruins concentrate into petals and begin folding up around me, blocking my view of the meadow fold by fold, petal by petal. The last thing I saw was Fi mouthing, "Good luck," and then I was enclosed in the cocoon of glowing blue light.

Preparing myself for the falling sensation, I was shaken as the capsule began to spin. Faster, faster... I was pressed to the wall, my hair blowing wildly, my teeth clattering... Faster faster faster...

Until the spinning stopped and I was dropped unceremoniously onto a hard floor.

_Uenisti intima animi tui, quam possis dicere nihil. Lorem exquiret et maneas causa aut sine mora scies te ipse reducis..._

A raspy voice snaked through my ear, the voice sending chills down my spine. And then it was gone, and I was left alone. Opening my eyes, slowly, cautiously, I screamed. But no sound came out.

I was in my house. On the floor, in my house.

There... there was my mother doing dishes at the sink, humming the same song she had been that morning. And there... there was I, playing with my wooden soldiers on the floor, makings gun sounds as I marched them around.

Gawking, I took in my six year old self, noting the innocence in his eyes, and the overall happiness that radiated from him. Choking back a sob, I turned to my mother, who was now looking out the window nervously, wiping her hands on her skirt.

Right on cue, my dad entered the house, wiping his boots on the mat, his face grim.

"Daddy!" little Link cried, leaping to his feet to greet him. "Daddy! Can you play the General? They have to go battle the pirates at Five-Eye Reef, they stole the princess' diamond necklace and-"

"Hey, paki, maybe some other time, I think your mother and I... I think we're going to..." he trailed off, swallowing hard, looking away, blinking fast. I noticed. Little Link did not.

"We're going out for a little, me'e," my mother filled in smoothly. "Can you watch Aryll for us like a good boy?"

"But you went out yesterday," the boy said glumly, turning to look at the cradle where a newborn Aryll slept peacefully.

A tear slipped from my eye. Find the map, Link. Look for the map. Find the map, Link.

"I know, Linny, but your father and I have business to take care of," she told him, ruffling his hair. He grimaced. He hated when she did that. But Link would't mind. I wouldn't mind. Ruffle my hair, mom. One last time.

"Will you be back soon?" the blonde sighed, stomping to the couch and crossing his arms.

"As quick as possible," his dad promised, planting a kiss on the boy's head. "Feed Aryll if she wakes up, there's a bottle on the counter."

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, looking down dejectedly at his soldiers. His carefully planned out battle was falling to pieces. If there was no makua kane to play the General, how could you have a war?

"Be back soon, Lincoln, we love you," his mom told him, kissing him on each cheek before standing to join his father at the door.

"Bye, makuahine. Bye, makua kane. Aloha 'olua," he droned in a deadpan voice, staring at the wall.

And the door closed. I stood up, opening the door and running after them. I knew Little Link would follow about forty minutes later. He wanted to follow his mom and dad. I wanted to find the map. Get ahead of them, find the map before it happens...

I ran ahead of them, thanking the goddesses silently for allowing me to be invisible to their eyes, yet stopped and yelled as the ground underneath my feet stopped and turned into a hazy white. There was no island ahead of me, only white.

Turning around, I saw that there was a whole dome of white surrounding me, the circle of the colored island with a radius of a couple hundred feet. Panicking, my thoughts of having some weird eye disease were put to rest as suddenly land materialized before me. A ways behind my parents, some of the picture dissolved.

It's focused on them, I realized. The memory the Trial chose centers on my parents, and so the memory only extends so far from where they are! Meaning that the map will be near them, at the place they are going, the place where they...

"You're late."

The familiar, chilling voice reached his ears. Zant was leaning against the stone wall of the cave, his face expressionless, his eyes cold. I didn't realize we'd walked all the way up to the cave... Is this Trial distorted like the last was?

"We needed to take care of our son," my makuahine snapped, her eyes and tone icy. I had never seen her like this. She'd never so much as raised her voice at me.

"Why bother? You know my Master will get him eventually, you're simply prolonging the inevitable," Zant stated factually.

"No, you're simply wasting your breath," my father snarled, face red with anger. He never looked like that either. I rarely saw him without a smile, this was like an entirely different person.

"Am I now? You're the ones still trying in vain to protect your little Link," Zant said, standing upright away from the wall now.

"His name is Lincoln," Makuahine hissed, her hands balled into fists. Lincoln. She never did like calling me Link.

"Ha! When the goddesses came and told you yourself you were siring the Hero and to name him Link, you still found the petty defiance to name him Lincoln, to try and keep him your own! He is and will always be Link, nothing you do will ever change that!" Zant declared.

Lip quivering, my mom stood her ground. "Why so young?" she whispered, eyes full of tears threatening to spill. "Why can't you let him grow up happy?"

Zant let out a short bark of laughter. There was no humor in the laugh. "He's the Hero, lady. Their lives are always miserable, from start to finish. My Master simply wishes to speed up the process. As we speak he is obtaining the Princess of Destiny, and soon, he will have your son as well. I think he'd make a much better father to them anyway," he sneered.

"Listen, you little keiki manuahi," my father growled, my father who never swore.

"No, _you_ listen," Zant snarled.

The atmosphere had changed somehow. I could feel it now, charged with malice and a burning fury...

"It's been fun to hold all these meetings with you, to listen to you snivel and grovel and beg at my feet, however, the games are done. I _will_ have your son, and I'm seeing that peaceful negotiation will not work here. You leave me no choice, and right now there's nothing I want more than to hear your screams!" he shouted, grinning evilly as he drew his sword.

Oh my Din, oh shit, Farore help me oh my goddesses where is the map?!

Searching around frantically, my heart sank as I located the scrap of paper in Zant's pocket. It fluttered lightly, as if to taunt me and say, _"Come get me."_

Yet I couldn't move. I was rooted to the spot, frozen in terror, heart thudding as Zant advanced on my poor parents. My father was now in front of my mother, bravely acting as a shield. He had a small fishing knife with him, looking pathetic compared to Zant's Twili blade.

"Trying to save your dear wife? Cute," Zant hissed as he waved his arm, magic sending the knife flying.

My goddesses he's going to, I can't, get the map, I can't...

Pinning them both against the cave, they struggled fruitlessly against his magical iron grip. "I'd just outright kill you, but I'm a creative guy," he said, giggling maniacally. "And I have a... fascination with pain and torture, I suppose."

The first cut, a thin slice across my father's throat. He grimaced as the blade drew blood, seeping from the wound like sap from a tree. I was shaking like a leaf, couldn't move, my heart working in overdrive.

Another cut, this one tracing my mother's figure. A small whimper escaped her lips. A sob crossed mine.

"Now," Zant said, licking the blood from the blade, "The real fun begins."

With that, he flashed the blade down her arm, rupturing an artery. She screeched, and blood began spurting up, splashing Zant, who looked positively gleeful. Licking her bloody neck, he then turned to my father.

"You sick monster, I hope you rot in hell!" he screamed, red in the face.

And he spat in Zant's face.

He didn't move for a moment. He simply stood there, then raised an arm to wipe the spittle from his cheeks. Then he smiled, though it wasn't a friendly smile.

"You're going to regret that."

And the blade plunged into his stomach, making a sick squelching sound.

I was frozen for exactly seventeen minutes. I watched the blood, the cuts, heard the screams, watched him peel back skin, remove organs, heard his cackles, his giggles, his twisted laughter, watched him _violate _my _mother_...

_What are you doing?! STOP HIM! _a voice inside me screamed. _Don't make it like last time, redeem __yourself, don't just stand there, SAVE THEM!_

Suddenly unfrozen, I let out a yell, and threw myself at Zant. I successfully knocked him to the ground, tears streaming down my face as I rained punch after punch after punch-

Then I heard the noise. The most ungodly, terrible sound I have ever heard in my life. It was a shriek, the shrillest, most high-pictched awful scream ever to hear.

"YOU_ FAILED," _the Shriek wailed. _"YOU FAILEDFAILEDFAILED!"_

A massive headache overtook me, and the Trial melted. I was back in the kihapi aloha. Clutching handfuls of grass, I gasped for air. The wind was cold on my wet cheeks. Fi looked at me expectantly.

"Link, did you-"

"I'm going again!" I yelled, standing up and running to the Gate. "I'll save them this time! I'm going again!"

Thus it repeated.

Spinning, landing on the floor, there was my mom. Toy soldiers littered the floor, she ruffled his hair. I followed them, I heard the conversation, he drew his blade, and I pounced.

_FAILED! FAILEDFAILEDFAILED!_

Back in the meadow, hiccuping, stumbling to my feet, spinning, soldiers, blood, yelling, crying FAILEDFAILEDFAILED-

I tried five times. As the shriek pierced the fifth attempt and I found myself back in the field, I couldn't move to try again. My limbs were jelly, and each sob raacked through my body like an earthquake.

_"You sick monster, I hope you rot in hell!"_

Falling onto the grass, I curled my legs up to my chest and cried. I cried and cried and cried- _"I'd just outright kill you, but I'm a creative guy."_

Why did I have to do this? I never chose this, my parents never chose this, they died because of it! It really is my fault they died, because I'm the Din-damned HERO! I never wanted this! I CAN't DO THIS!

_"Trying to save your dear wife? Cute." "You're going to regret that."_

Every time I try to save them, they die anyway and the Trial ends and it _screams_, that terrible scream!

It always ends, there's no way out...

_"Why can't you let him grow up happy?"_

It always ends. Death is an end, where there is death there will always be death. I can't change the past. The goddesses took them from this world for a reason. I saw them living happily. They told me it wasn't my fault.

_But it was, _that little voice within me whispered. _You know you killed them, your destiny murdered them._

No. No I didn't. It happened. Bad things happen.

_Not that bad! It was you all you and you're a terrible, despicable human being. _

No.

Struggling into a sitting position, I looked out at the ocean. I just need to say it. Say it out loud, accept the end. "Mahperntserded," I whispered, wiping my eyes.

Fi, who had been holding me as I cried, turned to look at me. "What?"

"My parents are dead," I said again, this time louder. "My parents are dead," I said, feeling better, gaining confidence. "MY PARENTS ARE DEAD AND I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!"

The blue girl stared at me, eyes wide. "Link..."

"I'm trying again," I choked out, still stuffy from crying. Wiping my wet face on my sleeve, I stood up and walked to the Gate. "And this time I'm going to do it."

There was the wind, the toy soldiers, and the ruffling of the hair. I followed them to the cave like I had the five previous times, and when I saw Zant, a familiar cold hand clenched my heart, and a rage bubbled up within me.

_Kill him! Save your parents, redeem yourself you wretched, wretched boy!_

Taking a deep breath, I turned to look at my parents.

"I love you," I whispered.

And I plucked the map from Zant's pocket. There was no screaming.

* * *

><p>Fi sat in the kihapi aloha, her knees drawn up tightly to her chest.<p>

She was scared. She was honestly, truthfully scared. She felt it, too, actually felt the emotion reverberating within her. Link hadn't been doing well. He tried a total of seven times, and always came back crying and screaming about trying again.

She'd held him the last time, watched his apparent acceptance. She still wasn't convinced. He was fragile. He broke a lot, and she was getting worse and worse at putting him back together.

A blue light flashed, for the eighth time that day, and Link appeared within the meadow once again.

She looked him over apprehensively.

He stood, knees shaking, face pale, eyes watering. A piece of tattered paper fluttered in his hand.

She stood as well, walking over to place a hand on his shoulder. "Link..."

"I did it FI," he said, his voice raw and cracking. "I did it."

He did it.

She felt something unfamiliar bubble up within her, something pleasant and warm.

He did it.

_You think of something happy, and it just happens._

He. Did. It.

Her face twisted and cracked, and suddenly she was laughing, a bright smile on her face. Link turned to look at her, surprised.

"Fi?!"

She just laughed and smiled. He did it, he did it!

He smiled too, a genuine one, not one of the fake ones he cast her whenever she asked him how he was doing. A real smile. They both smiled, they both laughed.

He drew her into a hug.

"Thank you, Fi," he whispered.

"No, thank _you_."

She was smiling. She was smiling. She was honestly and truly smiling!

* * *

><p><strong>Ick. Sorry for bad rushed ending, I just wanted to get this out for you guys! Like the Guest said, I am a total <strong>**slacker. I actually laughed when I saw that review, I was literally eating potato chips and staring at a wall when I got it.  
><strong>

**Anyway, I have a poll up on my profile about what I should focus on after I finish Reality. It'd mean a lot if you voted in it, and then I would know which story to spend the most time on!**

**Thanks guys, and maybe review a little?!**

**~Leila**


	42. Chapter 41

**So over spring break, we went on a ski-trip. I brought my laptop and was planning to do a TON of writing, like crank out this chapter, finish my two-shot, and publish this other one-shot I'm working on, but no, of course not. On day two of said ski-trip, I fell and got a concussion. Therefore I was not allowed to use any sort of object with a screen for the rest of break and then some. I ****apologize for the once again delayed update, and I will try my best to never ever ever get a concussion ever again! Seriously, they suck.**

**Thanks a kajillion to JSMac, KaijuKnight, The Azure Heart, Snowyflakes, Farore64, Princess Zelda-figure skater, GracieGiraffe0417, Guest 1, Guest 2, Clairae, FicStillAwesome/ThisFic'sAwesome, WolfenAmphithere, robin08, Hyliaelvulcanish Bard Of Death, TheMysteriousDude, Arcane Valor, LauParisi, LEva114, Guest 3, and ShadowNinja1011 for reviewing! It keeps me motivated, so thank you!**

**And I still have that poll on my profile, so if you want to have input on which story idea I should work on next, please vote!**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p>(Sheik)<p>

"Unlock your necklace."

It wasn't a statement, it was a demand. Cringing, I stayed where I was, huddled up in a ball on the floor, shaking with exhaustion and pain. My limbs felt like Jell-O. Tears stung my eyes. Everything hurt, my head swam, and my vision was fuzzy. Yet he still commanded.

"I _said_, unlock your necklace."

He was frustrated now. He didn't like to repeat himself.

"I d-don't know w-what you're t-t-talking ab-bout," I stammered, daring to raise my head and look at him.

He sat in his throne, his hands balled into fists. His piercing golden eyes were fixed in a glare, aimed at me. I could almost feel them burning into my skull. Next to him, where his Twili lapdog Zant usually stood, grinning at me superiorly, stood a slimmer, more feminine, replacement figure, whose dark hood hid her face from my gaze.

He sighed now, massaging his temples with his dark, meaty hands. "I don't know why you insist on doing this to yourself," he told me, looking at me once more. "It would be over faster if you just did what I told you to."

Pointing a finger at me, his hand began to glow with that golden light I'd come to fear. I closed my eyes and buried my head between my legs.

Pain racked through my body, fizzling and crackling at every limb, causing me to convulse and scream. Everything looked red, my head was twisting, my limbs bending at unnatural angles- then it was done. I collapsed on the cold stone floor once again, heaving for air. The remainder of the magic still swam through my system, "after-shocks," Aunt Impa always called them.

I coughed a few times, retching up clots of blood. They spatted on the pearly surface of the white marble, the crimson bleeding over the tiles.

"I'm giving you one last chance for the day," he boomed.

One last chance... I'll be done for the day...

"And if you dare to refuse me again, I promise you'll experience a pain greater than anything you have ever dreamt of. With that said, I'll say this one last time: _unlock your necklace_."

Struggling, I pulled myself into some form of a sitting position and looked him straight in the eyes, trying to look pitiful, hoping he'll soften.

"I. Don't. Know. What. You're. T-talking about."

Storm clouds brewed in his eyes, a fearsome kind of anger that isn't natural in the human race. He rose from his throne, finger pointed skyward, magic charging as he spoke. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice," he thundered. "Maybe this will teach you to do as I say!"

The finger was pointing at me, glowing. I closed my eyes, struggling to form some prayer to the goddesses...

"Stop."

The voice was cold and commanding, though at the same time soft and familiar.

Cracking one eye open, I saw the cloaked girl who had been standing in Zant's spot standing in front of his throne. Her cloak hugged her figure and pooled on the floor, giving no indications to her identity.

"Can you not see this isn't the Sage?" she asked him, gesturing at me. "He is a Light user, can you not feel that? You're getting careless, Ganon. And that is not a good thing to be when we're this close."

"Zant found him," he, Ganon, growled. "He has the medallion, I only assumed-"

"Don't make assumptions!" she barked, silencing him. "Assumptions never lead to anything good! The medallion is his sister's. I imagine he took it as a token of remembrance before leaving on his little escapade with the Goddess."

My eyes widened. How could she know all this?

"His sister's? And you know this how?" Ganon demanded, glaring back at me."

The figure turned to face me, pulling her hood down as she did so. I almost threw up.

"We know each other quite well," Midna said, flashing me a wicked smile before turning back to face Ganon.

No. This isn't happening. It's an apparition, that's not Midna, it can't be! She's not like this, not the one to associate with the bad guys, so why is she a bad guy? There has to be a mistake. This isn't her. It's one of Zant and Ganon's tricks, to mess with my mind.

"Alright then. So what do you suppose we do then, O Wise One? Kill him outright? Throw him out into the mountains and let nature do its job?" Ganon asked, his glare now directed at her.

"Use him as bait," she said simply. "Dangle him over his sister's head. She'd do anything to save him, her precious baby brother."

Ganon's lips parted into a smile, revealing his very sharp canine teeth. "I like that. Then she would have no problem doing as I commanded, and if she refuses me, we can always remind her that we can have a blade through her brother's stomach faster than she can say 'Sage.' Wonderful. Guards! Take him away."

The ever-obidient guards materialized beside me, and each took a rough grip on my arms. As I was dragged across the smooth floor, I caught Midna's eyes.

_Why? _

She looked at me strange, as if hearing my silent question. For a moment, the icy barrier in her eyes broke, and I saw the caring, sassy Midna I knew. Then the softness froze again, and she turned away, rubbing salt in the wound and leaving me to wonder.

I wanted to _yell_, to be _angry_, to _question_, to _hold _her. But the doors slammed closed, and I was alone again.

* * *

><p>Zant stood alone in the midst of an unnamed wood.<p>

The moon was high in the sky, its silver glow casting pale rays of light upon the stark, twisted branches of the trees. A fog was rolling through the woods, blanketing the floor, climbing up the trunks of the trees.

Yet it parted around where Zant stood, a neat circle of ground in the ocean of mist.

This was evil ground, claimed by darkness that nothing good could touch. A sorceress was buried here, a powerful mage died long ago at the accursed Hero's hands. She slept for millennia, though awakened when called by another of darkness to do their bidding before returning to her eternal sleep.

The last time she awoke was hundred of years ago, called upon by a twisted Chancellor to prompt the evil spirit Malladus into waking.

And now, Zant intended to call on her again.

Muttering a dark incantation in some old demon language that few would ever know, he unsheathed his dagger and began carving runes into the soft dirt beneath him. After he had formed his circle of summoning runes, he continued his chanting and held his hand out over the center of the circle.

Quickly and without hesitation, he sliced the dagger across his palm and let the blood spill out onto the untouched dirt in the center of his circle. At that moment, the moon cast a pale beam onto his blood, causing it to shine in the silver light. Zant grinned, no longer chanting, and stepped away to admire his handiwork.

A beam of light erupted from the ground, and the rune shone with dark magic. Gradually, the light began to fade, and a feminine silhouette could be seen through the glow.

Zant grinned. The ritual was a success. "My lady, I have resurrected you in hopes of you completing two favors for my master and I. Light is blinding, and we intend to put it out forever. Yet we still need your help, O Lady of Darkness."

He could see the figure clearly now. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. She almost reminded him of Midna.

A lacy purple dress clung to her body, leaving little to the imagination. Fiery orange hair was swept up into some complicated up-do on the top of her head. A smirk played on her darkly painted lips, and she gazed at Zant with some form of amusement,

"I am Veran, Lady of Darkness, One of Many Forms. I have heard your call and am obliged to assist you in these favors. May I ask who is calling upon me?" She sounded almost bored, as if she had recited the same speech hundreds of times. Which she probably had.

"Zant, milady. Lord of Darkness," he replied.

"Under Ganondorf, I presume?" she inquired, inspecting her nails, never making eye contact.

"Yes, Veran," he sneered, daring to use her first name. He tired of her arrogance. She needed to know _he _was her master, _he _had brought her back from the dead.

She gazed at him coolly. "What is it that you wish?"

He grinned. That was what he liked. A good, submissive slave, willing to bend to fulfill his every whim. "First, I wish for you to summon the _Homicida._"

Her lips parted into a smile, full of razor sharp teeth. "The Manslayer, hm? One which no man can kill. Getting bold, aren't we?" she asked.

"As I told you, he will blot out the light forever," Zant repeated. "Second, we wish for you to fight alongside us, milady."

Now this surprised her.

Her eyebrows shot up into her fiery hair. "Me, fight? I have not fought in thousands of years. No creature under the skies could defeat me, until that wretched Hero figure came along. Pride was my downfall, I suppose. Superbia." She trailed off for a moment, looking at the bare ground.

Zant waited expectantly. She _would _fight, she had to. He had summoned her and was therefore bound to do whatever he asked of her.

"I will not fight the Hero again," she finally said, an anger burning in her dark eyes. "I have no such desire to feel that cursed blade pierce my flesh again."

Zant grinned. "Ah, but you will not be fighting the Hero, not even the _dimidium _that they thought we wouldn't know about. That job is left to me. You, my dear Veran, will be eliminating a king."

Slowly, another smile crept across her face, the moonlight catching the shadows on her face, creating a terrifying image.

And Zant knew they would win.

* * *

><p>(Hylia)<p>

_Why did I come here?_

She was shackled to a wall, hanging by her hands. All night, she had been hanging in that most painful position. Tears stung her eyes, and a sharp aching hummed _through_ her arms.

_A mighty goddess, reduced to this, hanging in chains. Look where your foolishness has gotten you._

It was the right choice. She knew it was. But why was she regretting it? Hylia was stubborn, string-willed, brave in the face of danger. She guessed it was Aryll, little innocent Aryll, who was scared of spiders and cried when she got splinters. Hylia wanted to talk some courage into her, to boost the girl's confidence.\

Yet she was in chains too, and there was nothing she could really do.

_You failed. _

Did not. She did not, would not, and could not fail. The world was at stake. She still had her Hero. Her Princess was somewhere.

_Look at them._

Her vision flashed behind her closed lids, and several scenes played before her.

A Hero, crying in a meadow of exotic flowers.

A Princess, curled up in a ball, lip quivering in a stone tower.

Five Sages, huddled in a dark and dirty dungeon, all hope drained from their once bright eyes.

The sixth Sage and the King following a Sheikah guide into a forest ridden with minions of the Dark King, just waiting for the command to strike.

_You're hopeless. Your plans are shattered. You have nothing left. You will die mortal and live forever a goddess, forced to see your beloved land burned and tortured around you. And it was all your choice._

"No," she whispered. "No, there is still hope. There is still good."

She saw the Hero, piecing together his map, on his way to the Triforce realm while he _dimidium _was only miles away from arriving at Hyrule Castle to save the army from the destruction of Zant.

She saw the King gathering his armies, which were improving greatly and looking more and more like a strong fighting team by the hour.

"There is still good," she said firmly, rattling her chains slightly.

"There is still hope."

* * *

><p><strong>Kind of a filler, but moved some plot. We're getting there! So... Vote in my poll? It would help me <strong>**immensely! **

**Have a great, concussion free break if you have not had yours yet, and Happy Easter!**

**~Leila**


	43. Chapter 42

**Hey again! Sorry for the wait, again I was recovering from a concussion. And I'm kind of a slacker. Hm.**

**Thank you to Thatguy, Guest, littlelostdreamer, anamusedreader, BOEDADDY, nakashima0518, smilingbutbroken (you rock, seriously 800th ****reviewer), tiger7210, Zolias, Arcane Valor, DorkyReader859, Katia0203, Jupsi, TheMysteriousDude, WielderofBlade, ShadowNinja1011, and LauParisi for reviewing! 800 reviews, guys, that's pretty majorly big. I can't thank you enough!**

**Stuff will all be coming together to form final battle/war, guys so bear with me in these final chapters! And don't forget to vote on my poll, so I can write something else and not worry about having to get a life when Reality is over...**

**I wrote another one-shot. It's not happy at all (AT ALL) but I worked hard on it and I'd like it if you checked it out! It's called Ashes to Ashes.**

**~Leila**

**Dedicated to Allieo who is forced to endure Driver's Ed by herself because she failed. Just kidding, skipped. You just excel at mediocrity, don't you? I jest, I jest. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 42 (Zelda)<p>

I'm not sure when I stopped crying. Not sure when I decided it wasn't worth my tears. I know I sat for hours after that, huddled up against a wall, shivering, hiccuping, thinking.

I did a lot of thinking.

Thinking about how confused I was- _how is he not my daddy of course he is he has to be __what is happening why is he doing this-_

Thinking about how sad I was- _he never cared for me I'm alone everyone hates me how is this real he loved me I swear he LOVED ME-_

Thinking about how angry I was- _how DARE HE TAKE ME FROM MY FAMILY how could he DO THIS TO ME I just want to KILL HIM-_

And finally settling with an eerie contentment. The anger was still there, newly burning in my heart a strong flame, burning away the sadness. I didn't sniffle anymore. All I had left to show were wet cheeks and bloodshot eyes.

_Why would he do that? How could he do such a thing?_

**_Because he's the King of Evil. It's in his nature. It's what he _does_._**

My own thought caused me to flinch, the truth of the statement causing my body to involuntarily recoil. Evil was never a word I had ever associated with my father- caretaker. Stern, yes. Suppressing, maybe. Yet most of my memories of him directly connect to happiness. Elation, excitement. _Love. _

Is it wrong to have loved your own sworn enemy? Perhaps that was his intent. To get me to love him, to mold like putty in his hands. His insistence on my learning archery, all the focus on academics, and even signing me up for gymnastics... It was all part of his plan.

It's all a game nowadays. Like those chess games he'd play with me as a child.

_You always want a strategy, Zelda. A player is only as good as his strategy. _

_Even a cheater strategy Daddy?_

_In some games, you just need to play dirty._

"Is that what it's gotten to, Daddy? Playing dirty?"

The sound of my own voice grating against my eardrums was enough to make me cringe again. A croaking whisper was all I could manage. I was vaguely reminded of the sound ice makes as it cracks, sending a spiderweb of thin lines across the translucent surface... And then the deafening shatter, and the ice goes crashing into the water below, sinking, melting...

_But I won't crack, nope no shatters no melting here_

"Will I let you crack me? Am I going to shatter and crash?" the hoarse whisper again, this time rising to a timid squeak, like a little girl asking for yet another cookie even though she just broke the whole jar.

And she stands among the porcelain shards and crumbles of cookies, bravely requesting another sweet, determined not to break like the cookie jar had. It was only an accident, after all. Her little brother had replaced the jar just a _little too close _to the edge, and when she had reached in to claim her prize, the whole thing came crashing down, splintering into jillions of pieces never to be fixed.

_I'm close to the edge too, I'm the jar, will I let myself fall? Will I let the little girl push me over and faaaall?_

"Din, what am I _doing_?" I asked myself, the squeak breaking and my normal voice finally emerging from underneath all the ice and shattered pottery. "I'm comparing myself to a cookie jar, for Dinssake!"

I began to giggle, and the giggle turned into a full fit of hysterical laughter. The laughter scared me- _Zelda's lost her marbles, Zelda's lost her maaaarbles- _but that only made me laugh more.

"Oh my... gosh," I managed between peals of laughter, "I am so... totally... _losing it_!"

Falling back onto the stone floor, I tried to stifle my laughter by pressing my hands against my face, but that did nothing to stop the giggles bubbling through my lips.

What is wrong with me? Maybe he did succeed, maybe I did crack and now I'm just melting away-

The surprising sound of the tower door being thrown open and an armored guard clanking in was enough to both startle and sober me. Jolting into an upright position, I stared wide-eyed at the first human being I'd encountered since my fath- Ganondorf's revelation.

He stared right back, his blue eyes cold and unfeeling. I wondered what he thought of me, melting away in my sea of a floor. But I'm not melting. I'm just warming up a little.

"His Majesty has requested you join him for dinner," the guard said in a robotic, very rehearsed tone. It made me wonder how many times he had practiced saying those very words as he made his way up the stairs, repeating them over and over so he wouldn't forget...

"Did 'His Majesty' maybe think that I wouldn't like to attend?" I inquired, letting some of the bitter ice creep into my voice.

The guy didn't even miss a beat, like he'd been prepared for that very response. "Actually, he did think of that. And he _thought_ I should inform you that your Zora friend is pregnant, and though he needs her alive, he has no qualms with beating her into miscarriage. Be sure to take that into consideration, and answer wisely."

Blinking, I was momentarily taken aback by this comment that had seemingly come from nowhere. Within that sentence, he had immediately transformed from a brainwashed robot to a sadist. There was this _delight _that flickered in his eyes, this roaring desire to inflict pain, by means of word or weapon, it need not matter to him...

"Well, I certainly hope he's serving salmon," I sniffed, turning my back haughtily on the guard. "He knows it's my favorite."

His lips parted, revealing rows of straight but yellowing teeth. "His Majesty expects you within an hour. Someone will come to fetch you then."

With that, he turned on his heel and stomped out, slamming the door behind him. I stood there fuming for a moment. I bet he sure feels pretty smug, blackmailing a teenage girl like that. Yessir, no one feels better than that man right now, the one who threatened to kill my friend's child if I didn't go to dinner. I bet his mother is so proud.

"Congratulations Lulu," I said dryly, flopping onto my bed. "On the baby. That's great, really great. Who's the daddy? Darunia? Zant? Or what was your boyfriend's name... Michael? Michelangelo?"

Sighing, I began twisting a lock of my already knotted hair, staring at the dead ashes of the unlit fireplace. Dinner, eh? A strategical move, assuming I was still broken and crying. He'd use it to his advantage, pushing me down further, finding anything and everything possible to take from me...

However, the strategic opportunity extends both ways. He is most likely _not_ counting on the possibility that I might have collected myself, not preparing for a counterattack.

So how do I use this to my advantage? Two can play with heartstrings, Daddy-O.

_All is fair in love and war so why not make it a war _of_ love that will be extra fair don't you think Daddy_

Glancing at the ratty white dress I'd been wearing for... what, a week now? Maybe two weeks? Not that it matters. The point is, I bet I look pitiful. Torn and broken in every way.

Pulling myself off the bed, I scampered down the short flight of stairs to the tower bathroom. Indeed, I did look like some vagrant child wandering the gypsy lands of Ikana. My hair was tangled and sticking out of my head in all directions. Tears tracked through the dirt on my face, making me wonder when the last time I had a bath was. The dress made it the best, though. The rumpled old thing had once been white, but was now some mottled grayish color. It hung limply about me with no figure to cling to, giving me the appearance of a child playing dress up in her mommy's clothes.

"It's wonderful," I giggled to myself, twirling in a circle. "But do I want to look pitiful? Or do I show that nothing can break me by dressing up? That might work, or- Ha! Perfect!"

I turned and sprinted back up the stairs, throwing open the old wardrobe and peering inside. Dresses of every color and style hung on wire hangers, untouched by me for weeks. Sifting through the magnificent garments, I finally came across a pink floor-length dress, slim and silky.

Grinning to myself, I pulled it from it's hanger and laid it flat on my bed.

"It's pretty close to being there, but with a few alterations, it will be even better," I told myself, smiling as I felt the magic flood to my fingertips.

_Ready or not, here I come._

* * *

><p>When the knock at the door came- <em>at least this one is polite enough to knock- <em>I was standing in front of the mirror, making the last few adjustments to my appearance.

Now, I've had some pretty good ideas in my short seventeen years, but I must say this is by far my best.

I am the Princess.

The plain pink dress I pulled from the closet has been completely transformed. Thanks to magic, I've managed to create an exact duplicate of the dress the Princess of Destiny has always been shown wearing in books. Of course, I've made my own alterations. The back of the dress now swoops dangerously low, proudly displaying the still-red Z shaped scar on my back.

My hair has been washed and brushed, pinned back to display my pointy ears. I conjured up a pair of slinky pink gloves and slipped those on as well. A golden tiara sits on my head, twinkling in the bathroom light.

I am the Princess.

Powdering on some of my magically created blush, I grinned at myself. Rosy cheeks, shining eyes, long lashes, pink lips. Perfect.

The knock came again, a little more forcefully this time, and I walked up the stairs, rolling my eyes.

"I do hope you know I'm locked in my room. From the outside," I called through the thick door, smoothing my skirt a last time. "So if you expect me to answer the door, it's not going to happen."

"I didn't _expect _you to open the door, I _expected _you to be there when _I _opened the door."

The bitter voice slithered beneath the crack in the door, snaking into my ears and sending a shiver up my spine. Of course it was Midna. Who else would it be?

"Well, I had never _expected _you to be an evil bitch. Now let's just not expect anything of each other, and why don't you open that door?"

She did. The lock clicked, and the door swung open, revealing Midna, leaning against the stone wall. Her face was cool and calculating, though her eyes burned with a pent up fury.

Peeling herself from the wall, she gave me the once over, looking my outfit up and down. Though she would deny it, I caught the flicker of surprise in her eyes. Just as I suspected. She knew who I was supposed to be, and she was not expecting it.

"Playing dress up, I see?" she asked coolly. "He won't be very happy with you."

"I'm not the happiest with _him _at the moment, so let him be angry," I replied, trying to keep my voice equally as icy.

Letting out a sigh, she slipped a pair of golden handcuffs out of her dress pocket and beckoned for me to stretch out my hands. I did as commanded, and allowed her to fasten the chains on me. Immediately, I felt the energy sap out of me.

As if sensing this, Midna spoke as she led me down the stairs. "We couldn't risk you breaking free or turning invisible, so we enchanted some shackles to neutralize your magic," she explained. Pausing, she turned to look at me, a wicked smile on her face. "They sent me just in case you _do _escape."

Before I could react something shot towards me, something red, something fast, some giant _hand_-

The thing hit me in the stomach, forcing me against the wall. I felt the air squeeze from my lungs as my head hit the stone and the thing pressed hard against my stomach. Head swimming, I barely noticed Midna draw close to me.

"And trust me, I'm not very nice when dealing with those who are insubordinate!" she hissed into my ear.

I squirmed in whatever bonds held me, restricted by the magic-sapping handcuffs. It was her _hair, _I realized, a pulsating red hand made of hair. Protruding from her head, it pinned me against the wall.

The hair-hand withdrew, receding back into her skull where it belonged. Gasping for air, I stared wide-eyed at my former best friend. "Midna," I gasped. "What happened to you?"

For a second, she went rigid, hands balled into fists, eyes completely blank. "You... don't understand," she rasped, sounding garbled, almost choked. "It's not... me.. it's..."

Then, she relaxed, and the icy fire expression was back. "Oh shut up," she muttered, yanking on the chain connecting my cuffs. "Now come along. You've made us late."

* * *

><p>When we arrived at the dining hall, the first thing I noted was that the table was indeed laden with all of my favorite dishes. Salmon. A platter of Gerudian pita pockets with all the works. Chocolate cake. Strawberries. The list went on and on.<p>

The second thing I saw was that Zant was gone, and replacing him at his usual place at the head of the table was my fa- Ganondorf.

And the third thing: there were three people present, but four places set.

It was silent as Midna led me to the other end of the table, opposite Ganondorf. Shoving me into the chair, she then went to sit at her own place, smiling warmly at Ganondorf.

"I'm sorry we were late, Majesty. We got a little... sidetracked," Midna purred, folding her hands in her lap.

Ganondorf did not reply; his eyes were locked on me. Emotions upon emotions flashed through his eyes, putting on a show in those golden orbs.

_Getting a little sidetracked yourself, aren't you, Ganon? _I thought smugly. Flashing him a sweet smile, I waved a shackled hand in the general direction of the servants, hidden in the shadows out of my sight.

"A little wine might be nice, Ganondorf, maybe that nice Gerudian kind you've always liked," I suggested, folding my chained hands in front of me.

He was silent, eyes still glued to me. To my outfit. It was just as I had planned.

Finally, he cleared his throat and tore his eyes off me, signaling for the servants. "Yes, a little wine sounds wonderful."

Almost instantly, Twili servants materialzed by our sides, pouring a generous amount of Gerudo made white wine into our empty goblets. I fingered my glass for a moment, smirking at my flustered fathe- Ganondorf before taking a sip.

"So, Pops, how have you been?" I asked amiably. "By the looks of it, you have been a very busy boy. Is this where you'd come on your little 'business trips?' I'd imagine so. I mean, armies don't gather themselves!"

Ganondorf continued to look at me blankly, while Midna glared. She hadn't touched her wine yet.

"When is our fourth guest arriving?" I asked, gesturing to the empty place. "Who is it? Zant? Nabooru?"

"Though both are excellent guesses, I'm afraid neither will be joining us. Zant has business else where, and Nabooru... well, she wasn't very hungry. But our fourth guest will join us in time." He grinned wolfishly, seeming to have regained his composure.

_Game on. _

"Hm. Well, I must say, this is a very impressive operation you've got running here. You must have put a lot of thought into it," I told him genuinely. He seemed very put off by my cheerful demeanor, so I was determined to keep it up for the whole dinner.

"My dear Princess, I've poured my blood and sweat into this operation. 'A lot of thought' doesn't begin to cover what I have sacrificed for this cause," he told me, taking another drink of the wine.

"You've most definitely sacrificed your home life," I agreed.

His eyes narrowed. "Young lady, drop that tone or I'll-" he caught his mistake a little too late, and he abruptly stopped talking.

"Or you'll what?" I demanded gleefully. "Ground me? Send me to my room? _What _will you do?"

"What will I do? I'll disembowel your little Sheikah friend before your eyes! I'll rip out his still beating heart before you, and the last thing he'll see before he dies is you standing there and doing _nothing _to help him!" he thundered.

Now _this_ caught me off guard. "Sheik," I whispered.

"Remember who the prisoner is here, _Highness_," he snarled. "Remember who holds the _power_."

"Why'd you drag him into this? Is he okay?" I inquired, my eyes burning with fury.

Midna, who had looked very bored throughout this battle of wills, suddenly looked very interesting. Though she kept her head bowed, I could see a strong emotion in her eyes.

_That's right, they'd been **dating** before... Before all this. How long ago was that? A billion years? Maybe only a couple thousand?_

"Oh, him," Ganondorf said dismissively, signaling for the servants to bring plates. "He unknowingly helped to deliver a crucial package into our hands, and now he's deadweight, nothing more than motivation for the Sage of Shadows. Just remember that. He means _nothing _to me or my plans."

"Yes, you and your plans. Not very original, eh? The usual 'kidnap-the-princess-and-start-a-war' move. I would think that one of you would get smarter eventually. I mean, look how that strategy has worked out for your predecessors," I pointed out, relishing the look on his face.

His anger quickly turned into a malicious grin. "Oh yes, my plan. I'm sure you'd love to hear it, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, you know I would!" I exclaimed, flashing him a cheesy smile and propping my chin on my hands. "I'd love to hear how you stole me from my family and turned me to putty in your hands!"

"Actually, if the original plan had succeeded, I would have had _both_ of you. You would have grown up thinking the Hero was your _brother_," he sneered.

That shut me up. I was interested now.

"I've been building my army since I was twenty years old. I'm forty-five now, making this cause twenty-five years old. Zant has been with me from the beginning. Ironically, we were childhood friends. Now, when I was about twenty-eight, the newest Princess of Hyrule was born. Not less than an hour later, an ordinary boy on the island of Outset came into the world. How would I know this? I could _feel _it. You were the ones," he said, flexing his Triforce hand, the mark glowing in response to the movement.

"Zant and I formulated a plan instantly. At the age of six, your families would be taken care of and we would swoop in and kidnap you both. We had a potion brewed to take care of your pesky memories, and I would raise you both as my twin children. However, things didn't go quite as planned.

"Your half of the plan went very smoothly. Mother died in child birth, father poisoned at his own table, brother kept alive for later use. You and your big sister, what was her name... Syrella. Yes. I believe you called her 'Sissy.' Anyway, you were out for a causal walk along the beach, as restrictions on Royal freedom were a lot more casual back then. The girl was attempting to show you the protecting power of a Landing. My man was granted power by me and was able to shoot Syrella and come after you. It turned out, the potion wasn't even necessary. You hit your head on a rock and got amnesia.

"The damned Hero, however, slipped right out of our grasp. Zant had been holding meetings with his family, trying to get them to give the boy up, pretending to listen as they bargained for his life. They knew who he was, and they were quite stubborn. Well, one day, Zant lost all patience and took care of them ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, that same day, the boy decided to follow his parents and witnessed the whole event. As Zant started towards the boy, he picked up a sword, and well... The boy killed him.

"So not only did the boy get shipped off to an orphanage and out of my reach, but my associate was dead. That problem took a lot of black magic to fix, I'll tell you. After that momentary setback was taken care of, I focused more on your upbringing while Zant continued to expand our forces and search for the components needed to open the Triforce Realm. You probably know what they are, but I'll tell you anyways. One needs to obtain all three channels to the Triforce's power, typically called Bearers, the Six Sages who hold the key, a song played by the eldest member of the Royal family, and a goddess.

"As you can imagine, it was very hard searching for some of these things. The Hero wasn't too hard to locate, we already had you in our grasp, and we of course knew where the Royal brat was. We've even had one of the Six Sages with us for quite awhile. But the other five Sages and the goddess were proving to be quite difficult. It wasn't until recently that our plans have begun to fall into place. After years of tracking, we've finally been able to pinpoint exact locations on the Sages. First Water, then Fire, then Forest, and most recently, Light. Shadow has proved herself to be a problem, but we've almost got her now."

"What of the goddess?" I demanded. "How are you going to pull that one off, eh, hotshot?"

He grinned. "I hoped you would ask that. See, Zant and I took a great gamble. We bet that the goddesses would see my return and grow worried. They'd fear for their precious Triforce, so they'd jump directly into the fray before thinking of the consequences. And just as we thought, little Hylia came down from the heavens, taking on a mortal form in hopes of reaching the Triforce Realm before we could to withdraw my piece and destroy me. Your friend Sheik was supposed to escort her to the Triforce Realm, but he failed and now Hylia is with us. In fact, she should be joining us for dinner soon."

My heart thudded inside my chest. He'd done it. Against all impossible odds, he'd done it. All he needed now was the Sage of Shadows, King Matthew, and Link.

_But Link is the Hero, he'll save you he always has he always will_

It was silent as Ganondorf piled some food onto a plate, gesturing for Midna and I to do the same. Midna took a plate, placing only a few pieces of fruit onto it. I wasn't hungry.

"And how'd you get into this, huh?" I snapped, glaring at her as she picked up a strawberry. "Where did you come in?"

Taking a small bite of the red fruit, she cocked an eyebrow. "Zant recruited me a long time ago. I've acted as a spy and a contact. Really, I'm surprised you never figured it out, having the Triforce of Wisdom and all."

Ganondorf smiled at her. "Yes, you have been a very valuable asset in all this. And now, Zelda dear, we simply sit back and wait. A war has been set up to keep Hyrule distracted, and all that's left is for the Hero to walk straight into our hands. And when he does, I imagine he won't be too happy with you. You said and did some things that made him very upset."

"I never said anything-"

"No, but I did. And believe me, he wants nothing more than to see you dead."

The sound of the new but familiar voice made me turn to the door. Walking in, wearing a _very_ revealing Gerudo number, was none other than Nabooru. The little bitch.

"It was _you _who knocked me out that one day! You created a disguise and took my place!" I realized out loud, my voice growing louder with my anger.

"Give the girl a prize," she sneered, tossing her red ponytail over her shoulder.

"What is it, Nabs darling?" Ganondorf asked, his voice low.

_Nabs darling?_

"We just sedated the Light Sage. The old man nearly took out a castle wall on his way in. Just thought you might want to know he was secure.

_Nabs darling? Zellie dear Nabs darling_?

"Thank you, princess. Is the goddess coming down to dinner?"

_PRINCESS?! Nabs darling Zellie dear Daddy? Yes, princess. My dear little princess_

"She'll be down shortly," Nabooru affirmed.

I didn't fail to notice her dirty glance at Midna, or her even dirtier one at me. Her eyes burned with anger, hatred, and... jealousy.

_Because I had something she didn't what did I have, Nabs darling? His little princess** I** was his little princess!_

Tearing her eyes off me, she turned to leave. "Just thought I should update you. Have a good dinner."

With that, she stalked out of the room, posture rigid, ponytail bobbing behind her. She seemed upset about something. Upset with me, angry at me, hating me.

Well I hated her. She did this. she put me here. She tricked Link and now Link hates me. Why aren't the good guys winning? Why does it look so good for the bad guys?

"More wine, Midna?" Ganondorf asked.

She still hadn't taken a single sip. Last time I had dinner, she downed two glasses.

"No thank you, my King," Midna said with a thin smile. "I'm abstaining from alcohol for the time being."

A raised eyebrow, no questions asked.

_She does look a little queasy, a little sick..._

"Behold!" A guard rushed forward through the door, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling with laughter. Stooping into a low, ridiculous bow, he called again, "Behold! The mighty, all-powerful, glorious, goddess Hylia!"

They were mocking her. Mocking the goddess.

Laughter erupted as the "mighty, all-powerful, glorious" Hylia entered the room. I nearly screamed.

Her dress was ripped and a little bloody. Her long golden hair looked as if birds might be nesting in it. Chains hung from her wrists and around her ankles. She looked like a skeleton with determined blue eyes.

The mighty, all-powerful, glorious goddess Hylia was Aryll. The mortal goddess Hylia was _Aryll._

One of the guards pushed her forward, nearly knocking her to the ground. Another one yanked her chair out for her and shoved her down into. She told two different stories: her face miserable, her eyes calm and ready for anything.

I was just trying not to faint.

Aryll, barely eleven. Goddess. And yet, how did I not see this? The harp, the behavior on Hylia Day, her parting note... It made perfect sense, yet I was more confused than I ever had been in my entire life.

"Ary... What..." I tried to speak yet couldn't find the words.

"Surprised?" Ganondorf asked smugly. "I was too, at first. I couldn't believe the might goddess Hylia took on the form of a weak little girl-"

"Aryll is not weak."

Aryll, no, Hylia's voice cut sharply through his words.

"Not weak, hm? The little girl is not weak. The very same little girl who requested a nightlight for her cell and asked a guard to kill a spider for her. That, I suppose, is not weakness?"

"Fear isn't weakness, Ganondorf. The young one has every right to be scared. Look what you've pulled her into. Look what you've _done_," Hylia said forcefully, gesturing to her bruised and frail body.

Oh Aryll. Oh baby, it's okay.

"Fear _is _weakness. If you have fear of spiders, you would not subject yourself to any situation that involved the pests, even if it was to brush the creature off to retrieve a fallen Rupee. If you fear death, than you will not fight, and if you do not fight, you do not win. Courage is having no fear, my dear goddess."

He dares to call Aryll weak! I looked over at the little girl, my friend's little sister, shivering, hurt, scared. Anger coursed through my veins. How _dare _he call her weak when he would probably snap in the same situation? How dare he preach of the true meaning of courage when he has her chained up and me shackled?

"No, courage is having fears but acting against them anyway. Why would you know of courage? You hide behind an army, frivolously showing off your power gifted to you to create fear. You live off fear. You crave it. Courage is your downfall. It has been, and it always will be. That is why the Hero is always triumphant. Because every single time he rises against you, you can't understand. Why did he do it? How did he do it? You don't understand courage, and that catches you off guard every time," I yelled, anger growing as I spoke.

How dare he. How _DARE_ he. He killed my family. He turned everyone I hold dear against me. He tortured an innocent young girl. Words can not describe my feelings right now. Hate would suffice as a poor synonym. I hate him. I _hate_ him. I _HATE_ him!

"In fact, you were so scared of what Link and I could do to you, that you needed to get to us when we were poor, impressionable _children_," I continued, rising from my chair, chains clanking as I gestured dramatically. "You are a despicable disappointment, an insane monster born from fears of the weak-minded. And you have the audacity to call Aryll weak? She has more bravery than your entire army!"

His eyes were wide with shock. I saw Aryll, not Hylia, flash me a weak smile. Midna didn't do anything. Her face was neutral. She did not move. She just sat with two hands on her stomach and her lips pressed tightly together.

"I hate you," I finally said. "I hate you. This is your fear, isn't it? This is exactly what you wanted to prevent from happening. You wanted me to love you, to revere you as a hero, to comply with your every demand. Well sometimes strategies don't work, even the dirty ones. I hate you, and there is nothing more I would love than to see you on your knees, fear in your eyes, _begging for mercy!_" I screamed.

He looked pale, his eyes round, malice gone. "Guards," he finally croaked. "Guards!"

Promptly, a squad of ten men came marching in. "Sir!" They yelled in unison, hands raised in a salute.

"Take... Take her to the dungeon," he managed, trying vainly to regain his former confidence. "Take her to the dungeon _now_."

One guard grabbed me by the magic-neutralizing chain, dragging me along. Falling into formation, five of them led me while five hung behind, swords pressed to my back.

As the dining room door clicked shut, and as I was led into the darkness, the empty sense of contentment came back.

_I broke him_, I thought. _Broke him just like a cookie jar. _

And the metal bars clanked shut.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the mildly rushed ending, just was excited to get a chapter out! Review, por favor, and vote on my poll! Muchas gracias!<strong>


	44. Chapter 43

**Hey guys! Happy summer! I'm finally on summer vacation, so now I don't really have excuses for not updating. Besides sheer procrastination. Thanks to those who reviewed, namely Farore64, Sheikagal, KaijuKnight, Clairae, WolfenAmphithere, LauParisi, ShadowNinja111, Nint3ndozzzz, ayomayo996, littlelostdreamer, Linkfreak210, Kamil the Awesome, guest-person, TheMysteriousDude, and Guest!**

**My number of ****average reviews has dropped considerably, am I doing something wrong? Sorry if I'm boring you, I just have to set up the foundation for these final few chapters! Bear with me here!**

**An interesting recommendation, it's called Dawn of a Dead Day by aragstockedoldbastard. It's a post-apocalyptic Majora's Mask, and I find the plot intriguing.**

**Read, review, and vote in my poll please! Thanks guys!**

**~Leila**

**To avoid confusion, there's this one part where Link breaks first person and begins referring to himself in third person. Yes, that was intentional.**

* * *

><p><strong>The war is won before it's begun, release the doves, surrender love...<br>**

* * *

><p>(Link)<p>

"I can't go on."

"Yes, you can."

"No really, go on without me. Leave me here to die in peace."

"You are such a _baby_. Get off the ground now, we're losing time."

"My head feels like someone is repeatedly smashing it with a red-hot hammer covered in poison spikes."

"Drama, drama, drama! Always about the drama! Now get up! It's not that hard, it only takes a little bit of practice!"

I opened one eye and gazed up at Fi. Her arms were crossed as she glared disapprovingly down at me, blue cape fluttering about her as she hovered her standard few inches above the grass.

"Have _you_ ever had your brain split completely in two in order to control two separate beings doing two separate things simultaneously? Didn't think so, O Wise One," I snapped, wincing as another wave of pain coursed through my head.

I ran my _dimi_- whatever into another wall. Dinssake!

"I do, however, know everything and anything there is to know about the concept of _dimidiums _as well as little tricks to assist in the adjusting process," she told me. "I could relay them to you, if that would help with the poisonous hammer problem."

"Whatever, Fi," I moaned, wincing again as I picked my deh-mee-dee-um up off the street and tried walking once again.

"I feel this might be a smart option. You really do need to be making fast time to the Triforce Realm, and your _dimidium _best be off to the war. You heard the witches, Hyrule will lose if you are not present," she reminded me.

"Sure, sure. Tell me all your tricks, Fi. Unload some of your bountiful wisdom."

Smack into a wall, stumbled back, into another wall. Damned walls. I should bomb them.

"Very well. First of all, it helps if you are standing up and relaxed. Clear your mind, take a deep breath," she instructed.

"Relax? _Relax? _I'm two separate people! I have to send one to war, and I have to take on the King of Evil! How am I supposed to Din-damned relax?" I cried, gasping as pain rushed through my head.

"See? You're upsetting yourself. You have to calm down. Now stand up, and breathe," she told me patiently.

Sucking in a breath, I pulled myself off the grassy hillside I had been lying on. Doing as Fi had instructed, I took a few deep breaths and tried to clear my mind.

_I have to hurry have to see Aryll at the Triforce Realm what if the Evil King has got her- breathe, just breathe- I can't do this, damn the _dimidium_ to hell- __relax and breathe-_

The pain faded a little bit, making me feel slightly better, and I picked him up off the street. Brushing him off, I awaited instruction from Fi.

"Now, I want you to close your eyes, and I want you to walk one way while at the same time making your double walk the other way. Try it slowly," she said encouragingly.

"Slowly," I repeated.

_Try it slowly._

Deliberately, I took my first step to the right. At the same time, my _dimidium _took a step to the left. Good. I took another slow step, and my _dimidium_ did the same in his respectable direction. Slowly. Good.

I tried another, a little faster. Good. Another, and another, another-

My_ dimidium _turned and began pacing the same direction I was. Angrily, I threw my hands up and yelled an obscenity to the sky. My _dimidium _did the same.

"Dammit Fi I can't do this-"

"Slowly, I said slowly!" Fi cried. "Link, try _slowly. _Make it count! Treat your _dimidium _and yourself as two different people. Don't think of it as you controlling two separate entities. Pretend you don't even exist; it's only Link and the _dimidium_."

Link and the _dimidium_. Slowly.

Taking another deep breath, I started again. Slowly, carefully. _You have to help Aryll. Your _dimidium _has to save Hyrule. Two __separate tasks. Two different people. You gotta figure that out here and now. So do it slowly, carefully.__  
><em>

One step. Two steps. Three, four five. We were both going different directions, slowly carefully. But not we. The _dimidium _and Link. Slowly.

Vaguely, I felt my left hand itching and burning, but I was too far into my mind to pay attention to it. Faintly, I thought I heard Fi calling my name. Telling me to be careful. Telling me to "stay here, stay with me."

I paid no attention.

Slowly. Good. Slow.

Two people, the _dimidium _and Link.

I was taking faster steps now, faster and faster until I was running... Link kept running straight down the hill. The _dimidium _took a turn down an alleyway, then again onto a back road.

_"I'm doing it!" _the _dimidium _yelled, his voice echoing down the streets. Link was silent.

Wanting to be sure the _dimidium_ could master his own sword skills,Link stopped and pulled out his sword, instincts taking over as he took a few vertical swings. The _dimidium _countered these with a few horizontal slashes. Link sidestepped an imaginary attack then rolled to the side, stabbing in midair. The _dimidium _did a sort of spin attack, cleaving the air around him in a perfect circle.

They both stopped, swords in hand, breathing heavily. For a second, Link swore he was staring into the _dimidium_'s eyes, seeing himself reflected back in them. The _dimidum_ stared back, lips curved into a smirk. He was like a shadow, his own person yet still Link...

Jolting back to reality, I was suddenly aware of the Triforce pulsing, faster, harsher, like a wakeup call. It burned, as if warning me of something.

Nodding at me- _me, not Link_- my _dimidium_ sheathed his sword and turned back towards the main road of Castle Town.

_"Good luck," _he said. And then he was running, running off to war.

"Likewise," I whispered, putting my own sword away, breathing heavily.

In that moment, I was scared. Terrified. I was more scared than I was when I almost drowned because of that giant squid, or when I needed to complete the Trial of my mind.

For a second, I hadn't existed at all. For that second, I was watching. Watching the people who were supposed to be me doing two different things in two different places, and I wasn't doing anything about it. I was lost, watching Link and the _dimidium. _Shakily, I brought a hand up to my face. _I _moved it. _I _did that. Not Link, not the _dimidium_.

It felt like everything I was ceased to exist. Like I had been forced out of my mind and removed from my body. It was by far the most terrifying feeling of my life.

Letting out a breath I guess I had been holding, I turned to look at Fi. _I _was in control again. Everything was okay. Though I could still see my _dimidium _running through my head, almost like a movie. And I was making him run. I was in control. Not Link, not the _dimidium._

"Okay," I breathed, still trembling. _You weren't anyone at all. You lost control of your own being, you were gone. _"Let's keep going."

"Very well," Fi said, nodding approvingly, though looking at me with narrowed eyes. "Glad to see you've... figured it out."

Climbing onto Epona, whom I had reunited with after our Outset excursion, I guided her to the north. According to the newly assembled map, we were growing closer. The only reason we had stopped was that I actually needed to learn to control my _dimidium_. Using the Triforce and simple commands to run the _dimidium_ were no longer going to cut it. Play time was over, and it was time for war.

_But you still lost control. What if you didn't get it back? What if you were floating around like that, watching, forever?_

Shivering, I closed my eyes. Thank Farore that didn't happen. Thank Farore I came back.

"Link, are you okay?" Fi asked slowly as she hovered alongside Epona and I.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, brushing her off. "Just a little shaken."

She smiled grimly, knowingly. "You were concentrating pretty hard. It's a wonder you weren't Separated."

"What?"

"Separated. It occurs when the original mind of the body becomes detached from the being, giving them the impression of 'watching' themselves. They've receded so far into their subconsciousness, that soon they cease to exist and their body and _dimidium_ become separate people without the control of a singular mind. This was the case with the Hero of the Four Sword. It's an old legend with a long backstory, but long story short, if you drew this sword, you split into four _tetradeum. _The poor boy spent so long split into four, trying to control all of them, that he was Separated from his mind and ceased to exist. The four _tetradeum _became their own people and lived out the rest of their lives, but the original little boy who drew the sword was gone."

"Holy shit," I whispered, looking down at my left hand, where the Triforce still glowed faintly.

It saved me. Without the Triforce, I would have surely been Separated and simply blinked out of existence. Looking up at Fi, see gave me a slight nod of head. Sometimes I forget she can read my mind.

"I just thought a little explanation might be necessary," she told me before effectively changing the subject. "Now, since you have your _dimidium _figured out, let's get onto the Triforce Realm. We're getting closer."

Nodding, and saying a silent thank-you to the goddesses, I pulled out the decrepit old map and traced my finger to the spot that was roughly our current location.

_Dear Farore, Din, and Nayru, thank you for blessing me with this holy power. Thank you for saving me. Thank you, thank you, thank you._

"Here we are. We should continue on towards the mountains, but then veer a little west. It appears to be in some woods directly at the base of the mountain range," I said, rolling the map up again. "Can you keep track of that?"

"Absolutely. You have exactly 74.3 miles to cover before reaching your destination."

I nodded vaguely, fiddling with Epona's reins as I ran through the streets of Castle Town, trying to reach the castle before the army left for war. "I hope I'm not too late," I muttered, turning my primary focus back on the mountains ahead of me.

Separation. I put myself in the Hero of the Four Sword's position. Struggling to control four minds at once. Spending so long not being able to fully rest because of the constant action that came along with controlling four minds. The stress of knowing that if _one_ of them was killed, if _one_ if them was seriously injured, it was game over for all of them. And then finally, the Separation. Drifting away in the river of consciousness, feeling that terror as you lose control and are only able to _watch_ as you fade away...

Shivering, I pushed those thoughts away. That was a brave little boy.

"I'm getting the sense that you were more than a little disturbed by your close call with Separation. Need an ear?" Fi asked.

Shrugging, I fiddled with Epona's reigns. "I don't know. It was just scary. It all happened so fast. One second I was just doing what you told me, thinking of two separate people and concentrating on my actions, and suddenly I wasn't doing anything at all. I'm having trouble grasping that it even happened at all."

She nodded, looking thoughtful. "It's a sudden condition. You don't really know it's happening until after the fact. I could see you were starting to slip, and I tried calling for you, but by that time it was too late. It was all up to you to come back or not, and you did. Try not to think too much on it, you've got it figured out now."

"Yeah," I mumbled, gazing at the mountains as I stopped a passing man to ask for directions to the castle. "It's still an unnatural experience, though. I know that since you're an joyless robotic dictionary you don't understand 'emotional trauma', but maybe you could just try for me."

"Ha ha. You're really funny."

"Do I detect laughter? Is the Ice Queen melting?"

"I'm not an 'Ice Queen,' I simply am just not used to the use of emotions and therefore prefer to... not."

"Mmhm. Whatever you say, Fi," I said, grinning at her. She grinned back.

Regardless of what she says, I know she's secretly very pleased with her newfound skill of smiling.

We lapsed into comfortable silence, and I watched as the sun disappeared behind the mountains, leaving a trail of indigo behind it. The sun hadn't quite set in Castle Town yet, so I was still running in a blaze of scarlet.

Aryll always liked to watch the final moments of light before the darkness came. 'Twilight hour,' she called it. I wondered if she was watching it now, or if she had been captured by the King of Evil.

Fi and I had sat down and discussed the possibility that Aryll might not have made it to the Triforce Realm. She explained that the King of Evil was indeed back and in the height of his power, and he desperately needed Aryll to complete his plans. When I asked why, she didn't answer. All she told me was that I needed to wrap my mind around the possibility that my little sister may have been captured, and that I may have to fight he King of Evil, despite that the old bat at the Temple of Time said that I wouldn't have to.

How did it get to this? Why am I even here, stressing over the fact that my being was nearly severed from my body and replaced entirely? It started off as trying to save my baby sister. It started off as almost laughable. Two kids, barely adults, suiting up in archaic clothes, masquerading as old-time superheroes.

Then everything happened at once. Saving the burning town of Peculiar, whose name once seemed so funny to me. The Water Temple and all its horrors. The Forest Temple bringing more. Fighting through the monster infested canyon of Ikana. Zelda's betrayal. The skeletons in the field. The Temple in Hylia's Statue. My _dimidium. _The Trials.

And now I'm here.

Maybe it doesn't seem like much. To kids reading their action comics and watching those stupid cartoons, maybe it doesn't. Action is expected out of a hero. You're supposed to be able to kill anything -no matter how big or powerful- without a second thought and then carry on as if it doesn't affect you.

Weakness is frowned upon. Real heroes don't cry. But they do, don't they? Maybe Captain Hyrule can carry on after his latest love interest sacrifices herself for him. After all, he'll find a better one in the next episode. _I_ can't, though. I can't.

People don't like weakness. They don't like seeing the reality of a situation. If you cry over the fact your supposed girlfriend suddenly turns on you and denies that she ever felt anything for you ever, people call you weak. A baby. You're expected to simply get up and move on. But what's realistic in that? If you cried after seeing your parents die again and again and again with nothing you can do about it, you're expected to man up. Emotions are frowned upon in a hero. People want a stoic, mild-mannered decent guy with an undying sense of patriotism.

No one wants a cry baby who gets a little upset about almost losing himself to his consciousness. There's no action in that, and it's all about the action. Their views of reality are clouded. Maybe they need to cry a little to wash away that fog.

Taking a deep breath, ironically feeling tears sting my eyes, I tried to shake away the depressing thoughts.

"Do you always ponder such deep topics on a casual ride to the mountains?" Fi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No. But I do when I'm going to war, which has a way of spoiling said pleasant ride to the mountains," I replied, finally catching sight of the massive army, marching to war.

"Mm. I hope you don't mind me adding my own two cents to your pool of deep thoughts," she said, floating down to position herself on the saddle behind me.

"Not at all. It'd be an honor for someone as all-knowing as you to elaborate on my humble thinkings," I told her.

"I suppose it would feel good knowing someone as smart as I would dare consort with the mule-headed likes of you."

"'Mule-headed'? Just who do you think you're calling mule-headed, missy-"

"Emotions are all part of the hero work. They need the love for their incentive, the passion to keep going, and the will to push through. People only want to see the good half of that, though. See, when you called their worlds 'clouded realities,' I think they can see fine. They just choose not to. No one wants to see the hero break down and cry after watching their parents' death because it tarnishes their views of a perfect reality. They define 'hero' as a perfect human being and expect you to live up to expectations.

"If they see you cry, they get scared. They think 'If our brave hero has been reduced to tears, then there truly is no hope for the world.' You're the epitome of their hope, whether you know it or not. But what people need to understand is everyone has weakness. What separates heroes from everyone else, is that heroes can get up after they cry and continue on. They know that if they don't get up, no one else will. Heroes find strength in times of weakness. And that is why people put hope in heroes, but don't want to see their tears. Because they're all crying on the inside, and when the hero cries it reminds them _why _they are crying."

She stopped talking, letting silence rest over us again. I was stunned, trying to take in her words.

"Though that's just reality, isn't it?" she asked with a sad smile.

I nodded. "Yeah. I guess so."

That night, half of me caught up to the back line of marching soldiers. The other half dreamed of drowning in a river of reality, a river made of tears and blood. Though_ I_ wasn't drowning, Link and the _dimidium _were. I was only watching, though unlike before, I could have done something about it. I just chose not to.

* * *

><p>(Shad)<p>

Stepping off the train, Shad felt more than a little queasy.

The new Spirit Tracks had only been open for a little while, and though they were a technological wonder and connected the entire land of Hyrule, they did little good to ease the contents of one's stomach, and Shad hated them with a passion.

Though that wasn't the _whole_ reason he was queasy.

Most of the nausea had to do with the fact that as soon as he returned to the castle, he would have to grab some protective armor and a sword to go catch up to the Army of Hyrule.

And he wasn't sure he would be returning alive.

Taking a few deep breaths, Shad wove his way through the crowded train station. So many people were bustling to get out of Hyrule, some of them in tears. He made another observation: there weren't too many men in the train station.

He watched as a tearful woman dragged her daughter behind her, and the little girl just kept screaming, "We're leaving Daddy! We can't leave Daddy, Momma, we can't! I DIDN'T SAY GOODBYE MOMMA!"

Swallowing tears, Shad pushed out into the fresh night air, grateful to be out of the wretched station.

_You're going to die. Everyone knows it. Your family knows it, the King knows it, and Ashei knows it. You're going to die. _

"I know," Shad sighed, running a hand through his reddish hair. "I know, I know, I know."

He promised himself to leave some sort of note for Ashei, to say goodbye. He didn't think he could face her in person, but he didn't want her crying like that little girl, screaming for the goodbye she never got.

What would he say?

'Dear Ashei,  
>I'm going to die. Sorry about that.<br>Love you.  
>Shad.'<p>

No matter how you phrased it, that was what you were basically saying. A letter wouldn't cut it. But he didn't think he could say goodbye to her face without breaking down and crying. And the last thing he ever wanted to do was cry in front of Ashei.

Cutting a sharp corner, he walked into the castle gates. The castle seemed quieter than usual. More somber, as if the building itself knew of the sorrow its people were experiencing.

As he walked through the gardens, someone called his name.

"Shad!"

Startled, the scholar turned to see one of the few remaining guards jogging towards him, a friendly man named Coro who had an odd tendency to call people 'guy.' Shad supposed it was a cultural thing.

"Hey there, Coro," he said tiredly, not really in the mood for Coro's cheerfulness.

"Shad, guy, I've got some great news for you!"

"I'm sure you do," Shad muttered under his breath. "What is it? Make it fast, you know I need to head off to... off to... you know."

"See, that's just it, Shad! You're not going to war anymore, guy!"

Shad blinked. "Coro, I'm not in a joking mood-"

"And I'm not joking! Ask any of the Advisors here! Turns out there was some mistake in the draft process. They spelled some other guy's name wrong, a Shad Skilotian, not Skylotan. Anyway, this guy Skilotian shows up with his call to duty, spitting mad that they spelled his name Skylotan! They looked into it a bit, and sure enough they got the wrong guy! You're out free, guy!" Coro cried, slapping Shad on the back. "It was kind of funny, because when they were first looking into it, Shad Skilotian was a deceased man from Skyloft City, but the guy laughed and said that was Shad Sr. It was a pretty funny mix-up, actually."

The scholar narrowed his eyes. Something wasn't right. "Skilotian... Coro, what did this man look like?"

"Well, he was kind of skinny for a guy... Slender would be the word. Wicked with a sword. Um, black hair, and kind of... feminine, really, you know how guys can look like... Guy? Are you okay? Shad?"

Shad had gone a shade of white. "Yeah. I'm fine. Coro, just tired. I think I'll be off to bed. Goodnight."

And he stalked off leaving Coro alone.

_And kind of... feminine._

_It was kind of funny, because when they were first looking into it, Shad Skilotian was a deceased man from Skyloft City, but the guy laughed and said that was Shad Sr. It was a pretty funny mix-up, actually._

_Wicked with a sword._

Goddesses say this wasn't happening. She wouldn't. She couldn't. She _promised._

Throwing open the door to her room, he found it dark and empty. "Dammit, Ashei, dammit!"

Running down the hall, he nearly ran smack into a maid carrying a pile of laundry. Apologizing, he continued running, his weak heart racing and his mind reeling. She wouldn't. Couldn't. _Promised._

Opening his door, he found it empty, but a fire was blazing in the hearth and a note was sitting on his desk. With a pounding heart and trembling hands, he picked up the piece of paper. Written on it in the messy handwriting he'd come to know so well was one word.

_Sorry._

Hysteria rising, he cast the letter to the ground and turned to the fire, gripping the desk for support. Wouldn't. Couldn't. "She promised," he whispered, looking into the flickering flames.

Snapping out of his trance, he flew to his bookshelf and pulled out a book of records.

"S... s... sk... ski..." he murmured frantically. There. Skilotian, Shad Christian. Deceased a year ago at age eighty-four.

"Damn you Ashei!" he yelled, flinging the book to the ground and burying his face in his hands.

It was so easy for her. Blame it on a typo, and find a name close enough to support her story. The man was dad? Oh, it was her late father. She was Shad Skilotian Junior, and the real one was Shad Skilotian 'Senior.' No one even suspected a thing.

And now she was gone. He couldn't stop her. No one could. She was gone, marching to war.

She was stupid and rash and a brat and... she saved his life. By sacrificing hers.

Bringing his shaking hands away from his face. He went to pick up her letter, the only thing she left for him.

_Sorry._

Sorry for breaking her promise to not do exactly what she did. And now he lost her, possibly forever. She may be "wicked with a blade," but that doesn't always matter in war. Being "wicked with a blade" doesn't guarantee you invincibility.

Turning it over in his hands, he saw something else, written so small that most people would miss it.

_I love you. _

Seeing that, Shad's resolve broke and he began to cry.

And to think that he had been so whiny about going to war. Now, he'd go in a heartbeat, if it meant that she'd stay home safe and sound.

* * *

><p><strong>Whoever knows the song that quote at the beginning is from has my immediate respect. Vote in my poll, and tell me what you liked, didn't like, would like, etcetera, etcetera. Thanks guys!<strong>


	45. Chapter 44

**So sorry for prolonged update. I had almost the whole thing written, but I didn't like it so I deleted it, and I've just been wanting to start my new ideas since I'm so close to being done with this one and my motivation is pretty much shot... So sorry. Yeah. Also I now have a Supernatural addiction.**

**Thanks so much to Guest 1, burning book, thatrandomkid, Allieo/Kanye West, Clairae, A Certain Unfortunate Guy, Guest 1, Darkblaze40, Kamil the Awesome, Jamesbond, LauParisi, WolfenAmphithere, Guest 2, littlelostdreamer, Jupsi, Sheikagal, TheMysteriousDude, ShadowNinja1011, Halcyon Electric, Zelinkkkkk, and that Guest (who reviewed chapter 1 and made me cry laughing because you are sassy) for reviewing!**

**As for the romance, we're getting there. Dontcha worry, but don't expect immediate romance from the time they see each other, considering it has been months and he thinks she betrayed him and is out to kill him. It'll get there, it just won't be as heavy as the beginning.**

**~Leila**

**Allieo: What you just said was one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to _anything _that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul. **

**A note on my awkward time period: Try to see it as a developing era, where the most advanced things they have are wireless communication and a train system. They're working on modern technology, as they have modern schools and ideas, but still are living in a slightly old-fashioned manner, thus the castle/Advisor/knight systems and the fact they still use swords and armor. Yup.**

* * *

><p>(Ashei)<p>

Ashei was bored. They had started marching before dawn and had been marching ever since, and when you had been marching for hours and hours on end, marching got boring. Ashei did not like being bored.

She was a girl of action, a girl of split-decisions and acting on whims. She needed constant movement, craved that rush of adrenaline, and loved the feeling of just being _free. _

She wasn't exactly one for following stupid orders and walking in single-file lines like a grade school kid.

Growling under her breath, she continued to glare at the back of King Matthew's head, mentally sending him a long-winded string of every obscenity she knew. If he had just let her go ahead with the scouting group, this restless boredom wouldn't have been a problem.

"'We need you here,'" she mimicked. "'You're an important asset to this army that I can't afford to lose in event of the scouts being compromised. Besides, I promoted you to captain. Aren't you satisfied with that?'"

"Still mad about that?"

Startled out of her petty anger, Ashei looked down to see little Tetris looking up at her. The kid had become like a second shadow in the past few days, copying her every move and following her everywhere. Not that Ashei minded. The kid was scared, anyone could see that, and if following her made him feel better, then so be it.

"I'm pissed," she responded, wanting to run a hand through her hair. She couldn't do that though, since she was stupid and had elected to meticulously pin her hair up every day rather than cut it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Everything she did was just _stupid._

Tetris nodded, looking up at the darkening sky. "Well, I can't say I understand since personally I would piss my pants if I was on scout duty, but I'm sorry you feel you're missing out."

Ashei let out a bark of what she hoped was masculine laughter, and Tetris' lips curved into a slight smile. "I've been doing a lot of feeling sorry," she said. "Sorry that King Matthew feels I'm too important to lose, sorry to be in the army, sorry to be marching, and sorry my Din-damned feet hurt."

It was Tetris' turn to laugh. "Now I can relate to _that_."

She smiled at the younger boy before turning her attention back to the front of the line. Dark was falling now, and the last glimpses of the golden sun were slowly fading away to the inky blue of the night.

Shad would be back by now. He would have seen her note. He would know that she broke her promise, disregarding the one thing he had asked of her and running off anyway.

Ashei wondered if he was mad, if he was trying to come after her, if she broke him, if she made him _cry_. Just thinking about what she did made her tear up a little.

_I promise._

Her words echoed in her mind, coming back to haunt her. He had relaxed so much after she had said those two words. He had sounded so relieved as he kissed the top of her head and breathed, "Thank you," into her hair.

Her heart had thumped madly as he did so, beating to a steady rhythm of _liarLIAR... liarLIAR... liarLIAR..._

Never in her life had she felt so _guilty _about something. Guilt was an awful feeling. It was the gnawing feeling of disappointment, the acidic conscience that ate away at the back of your mind, leaving a wake of second-guessing and pain as it went.

She could just see him, eyes red from crying, sitting on the edge of his bead with his head in his hands. Firelight would reflect off the tears in his eyes and would whisper, _"Why Ashei, why..."_

"Stop it," she said out loud. "Stop."

Tetris looked up at her again, brow creased in confusion. "Everything alright there, Shad?"

_That isn't my name. That's _his _name, his not mine. I stole his name. I stole his spot in war. I was selfish. I was cruel. I _broke _my _promise_..._

"Yeah, I'm just... thinking about someone back home. Stressing out a bit, y'know?"

Tetris was quiet for a moment, staring into space. No, Ashei corrected, staring at that red-headed boy again. Over the weeks Ashei had noticed that Tetris would steal glances at one of the second in commands, a young boy named Roy. He was the son of a murdered Advisor and hellbent on revenge. Tetris would never speak to him or let him see him, but he had this longing in his face as if he wanted Roy to see him. She wondered if Tetris was gay, but never felt it was important enough to ask.

Not her division anyway.

"I do know what you mean," the boy finally spoke. "I think about home a lot. Never actually told my dad I entered in the draft. I think about that every day."

He lied too. Maybe he broke a promise, just like she did.

Ashei nodded. "Why did you sign up? You're so young, you have a life ahead of you. Why risk throwing that away?"

Tetris shrugged, chain mail clinking as he did so. "I... heh, if you actually want to know, I did one of the stupidest, most shallow things you could possibly do. My friends and I put our names in for the compensation money. Thought we'd never get picked, right? They didn't. I did. Never told them, either. But I think about that a lot too. I'm basically gambling my life for that measly three hundred Rupees."

He shook his head, blonde hair swishing from side to side. "I was stupid, and now here I am. And I'm probably going to die, Shad. I know I'm going to die."

Ashei swallowed hard at that, a sense of protectiveness swelling within her. "Don't say that. Ever. You won't die."

The kid didn't respond, only smiling sadly before looking back at the ground.

Holding in a sigh, Ashei turned her attention to the back of the King's head once again. She needed a break. Now. Her feet hurt, her head hurt, and all she wanted to do was set up camp and go to bed. Not to mention that tunics and chain mail got awful hot after marching all day. Damn traditional army garb. Though she was grateful they didn't have to wear suits of armor like the soldiers of old. Tunics were a lot lighter and less likely to heat up and burn your skin.

Now _that _would suck. She could just imagine fighting out in the sunlight, the metal of the armor growing hotter and hotter, and a soldier inside sweating and trembling because of the physical activity combined with the heat...

"Atten-_tion_!"

Ashei immediately snapped back to the real world, standing alert and waiting for instructions from Captain Viscen. She really hoped this meant they were stopping.

Up ahead, she could see men peeling away from the line, pulling tents out of packs and tying horses to trees, giving them an apple and a pat. Her heart swelled tremendously; she couldn't wait to just _sit _for awhile!

"We're setting up camp for the night! You may light fires tonight, scout reports say the enemy lines are nowhere in sight so far. Get some rest, but be prepared to take camp down at any second. You all know the drill. Now get moving!" Viscen shouted.

"Did you hear that?" she shouted at her division. "Get camp set up! Make some food, get some rest! Come on, move it!"

Instantly, men were pulling out tents and sacks of provisions, yelling for mallets and canteens as they went about their work.

Gratefully, Ashei pulled one of the packed tents out of a saddlebag on a horse and began to set it up. Tetris grabbed the stakes and a mallet, and a few other soldiers came to help pitch their temporary shelter.

Soon, the air was filled with the calls of men and the beating of hammers against wooden stakes. The camp was a flurry of activity as soldiers scurried to and fro in order to accomplish tasks needed to establish shelter for the night.

As soon as Ashei finished setting up one tent, she made sure to go help with the assembly of another. Camp was set up in no time at all, and small fires began popping up outside the entrances of tents. Smells of food reached Ashei's nose, and her stomach growled loudly, reminding her how long it had been since her last meal.

Grabbing her own set of tinder and kindling, she plopped down outside her captain's tent and began working at building a fire. Tetris soon came and sat beside her, watching silently as she arranged the wood.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and go get a pot and water, yeah?" Ashei suggested, breaking the silence. "I'm in charge of feeding half my division, and I need the supplies to do so."

Tetris nodded. "Yeah. Yes sir," he said, pulling himself to his feet and walking to another packhorse.

Sighing, Ashei stretched her arms up towards the sky, cracking her knuckles as she did so. Her father had taught her that- "Always keep loose," he would say- and her mother found the habit repulsive. Ashei imagined her mother would be rolling in her grave if she knew her little lady was wearing man clothes and off to war.

Before she could entertain the thought of her mother returning from the dead to haul off and smack her, Tetris returned with a giant soup pot, along with some other men in her division who carried water and various other stew ingredients.

"Right. Thank you men, dinner will be ready whenever it's ready. Go entertain thyselves, be fruitful, multiply, do whatever it is that you do," Ashei waved them off, smirking as they laughed and saluted her.

Tetris hung back as the other soldiers disappeared into the crowded camp. He planted himself across from her and watched as she lit the fire. Not liking the silence, Ashei looked up at the boy and gestured to the pot.

"Mind filling that with water and setting it up over the fire? It'd be a great help."

He did so wordlessly; the only sound between the two of them was the splash of water in the pot and the _schck! _noise her knife made as she sliced vegetables for the stew.

Usually Ashei didn't mind silence. Sometimes, Shad would be reading a book and she would come and lay her head in his lap. They wouldn't talk for hours, but neither of them minded. This wasn't a comfortable silence. She could tell Tetris was troubled, most likely about dying battle without saying goodbye to the father he left.

She wasn't quite sure what to say about that. Anything she could say would make her the biggest hypocrite to roam the land, and saying nothing would make the poor kid drown in a pool of his own fear and guilt.

Though she wouldn't admit it to herself, she was worried about the exact same thing. She wasn't scared of dying, per say. She was scared she would die without properly saying goodbye to Shad. She didn't want the last thing he remembered about her to be that she promised she wouldn't go to war, then broke the promise, went anyway, and got herself killed.

He would probably drive himself mad blaming himself for it, even though it would be in no way his fault, and how could she live- well, be dead knowing she did that to him?

Looking back at Tetris, Ashei felt a wave of empathy. The poor kid was probably tearing himself apart in a similar manner. Smiling sadly, she cleared her throat and attempted to make some sort of small talk to lighten the mood.

"So," she started lamely. "You, um... Got anyone special back home?"

Tetris' head snapped up, and Ashei could _see _the thousands of possible lies racing through his eyes. What would he have to lie about? The question was innocent enough on its own. Finally, he dipped his head back down and muttered, "Yeah, I guess so. You?"

"Um, yeah," she replied, scraping the carrots in the pot. Tetris had placed it over the fire and was now sitting cross-legged and braiding some grass. "I have a fiancee actually."

"Oh. Well that's nice," Tetris said. "What are they like?"

Ashei silently thanked him for not mentioning how hard it must be for her to go to war with a fiancee at home. She was having a hard enough time dealing with that by herself and didn't need some brat's false sympathies to pile on top of that.

"Well, um, my fiancee likes to read a lot," she started carefully. "Always reading or writing some paper. I mean, he-she's um... they're really smart. H-she's not even an Advisor and the King still asks for his advice! What about you?" she asked, wanting to steer off the topic of Shad.

"Uh... H-she's really fun, like always smiling and always wanting to go do something crazy. He's really funny though and can make anyone laugh, I swear. Though he always makes the stupidest decisions, you know?" the kid rambled.

Ashei smiled. "That's men for you! Like one time, we were out of firewood so he tried lighting book pages doused in gasoline! I came back from thw kitchen to see half of the room on fire! I don't know what compels them to do those things, yeah?"

"That's terrible!" Tetris laughed. "Though once my boyfriend let four cats into the school labeled 1, 2, 3 and 5, and the school spent the whole day looking for number 4!"

Ashei laughed, wiping her eyes a bit. "That's classic! Where do men even get these ideas?"

Tetris grinned and shrugged. "It has to be a genetic thing! Another time, he attempted to rig a bunch of bungee cords to the school roof to see if he could jump! A teacher stopped him just in time!"

"Oh my gosh!" Ashei exclaimed between laughs, "Shad told me about that! He has all these stories about his school kids, like-"

"Wait, you're married to Shad? The teacher?"

Ashei abruptly stopped laughing, snapping her mouth closed. Tetris did the same, eyes wide. Silence fell over the pair like a wet blanket, heavy and uncomfortable.

She had been talking in her normal voice. Somewhere in her rants about Shad, her voice had cracked from tenor to soprano and Tetris' had done the same. Her laughter had been obviously female, and so had Tetris'. They had been talking about men, and though she had originally thought that Tetris was gay, now she was pretty sure that wasn't the case.

"Tetris," Ashei said slowly, voice low and eyes on the lookout for any eavesdroppers.

"It's Tetra actually," the boy-who-was-actually-a-girl corrected sheepishly. "And I take it you're not a Shad?"

"Ashei," she admitted. "Kid, what the hell are you doing here? Not only is this hugely illegal, but-"

"I told you, it was a stupid bet for money. When you get the letter, you can't back out. And you're the one to talk, why the hell are _you _here-"

"Capt'n Shad!"

Both girls jumped, looking like deer in headlights as the soldier approached, a middle-aged lieutenant with a curled mustache. Saluting Ashei, who snapped out of her reverie and back into character, he began to speak again.

"Cap'n, it's the King," the man panted, concern flickering in his eyes. "E's fainted or somethin'!"

Ashei jumped to her feet. This was the last thing she needed tonight. The stupid King was probably being overdramatic, or he saw a spider or something. "Tetra-is, watch the soup," she commanded, quickly recovering from her slip-up. "Where is he? Take me to him."

The lieutenant nodded. "Yessir! Capt'n Viscen sent me to getcha, he said mebbe you could help or somethin', I dunno why I mean no offense Cap'n but yer no medic-"

"What happened?" she inquired, cutting of his spiel as they jogged to the front of camp. Soldiers glanced at them questioningly as the passed, though most were too caught up in their meals to care. "Was it heat exhaustion, dehydration?"

"No sir, 'e was hydrated an' all. It was just the weirdest thing," he said as they reached a tent, "the boy was just standin' there and then allofa sudden 'e just collapses-"

Pushing back the flap, Ashei entered to find several medics surrounding a cot where an unconscious King lay. Viscen was standing back a bit, mouth pressed into a thin line.

Ashei went to stand by him, crossing her arms as she did so. "How is he?" she muttered.

"I don't know," he admitted, shoulders slumping. "One second he was fine, well mostly, and the next he's on the ground. How bizarre is that?"

"What do you mean 'mostly'? Were there any signs of sun exhaustion or dehydration? Have they checked for poison, was he locking his knees?" she asked.

The senior captain shook his head. "It was none of those. He was acting weird through. Seemed... jumpy. Panicked. He started spacing out, and then...They're saying stress, but he's been out for a solid ten minutes! That's not normal for a stress-induced fainting spell, is it?"

Ashei shrugged. "I'm not a doctor, sir. I wouldn't know."

Viscen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That's the problem, Shad. Even the doctors don't know."

She let her gaze fall onto the young King. Doctors hung over him like vultures, muttering under their breaths and recording pulse. King Matthew looked almost like he was sleeping. If it wasn't for the pale skin and medical team, Ashei might have thought just that.

"Well, it's probably just a normal fainting spell then," Ashei said slowly, eyes still on the fallen King. "He'll wake up, and everything should be fine-"

It was in that moment that another person burst in through the tent entrance, very out of breath and very unfamiliar. The medics all jumped back in a flurry of mumbles and hissed curse words. Ashei and Viscen had swords out immediately, pointed at the stranger.

It was a boy, maybe seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a ridiculous green costume. An elaborate sword hilt was poking out from an equally as intricate scabbard strapped to his back, though he made no movement to draw it. Panting heavily, his piercing blue eyes met Ashei's, to which she responded by narrowing her own eyes.

"Boy, what in the name of _hell _are you doing?" Viscen demanded, lowering his sword only a little bit.

"This might be a bad time," he breathed, indicating the King with a slight crane of his head, "but my name is Link and I've come to join the army."

* * *

><p>(?)<p>

They called him "the Hawk."

His sister had been the first to give him the nickname, and it had stuck throughout his life. They called him the Hawk due to his amazing vision. He could spot a ladybug on a tree two miles away. He could shoot a dime out of your fingers from three.

Others supposed he just had a gift, just better eyesight than the rest of their sorry lot. He knew better. He knew he was destined for something greater. He was special.

That's why he joined with Ganondorf. Ganondorf only took special people for his righteous cause, and the Hawk was one of the best. He _knew _he was. So he had easily scaled the ranks until he was commander of his own battalion. He was the best of the best, and even Ganondorf himself respected him for it.

That's why he was sent on a _very important mission. _Ganondorf's plans depended on his success. Failure wasn't an option, though failure wasn't a word he was familiar with. The job was easy anyways. All he had to do was capture two kids and kill an old lady.

Shifting his position in his tree, he continued to scan the path below for any passerby. His men were positioned all over; some were crouched in trees like him, and others were hidden in the bushes below, poised to strike as soon as the targets came into view.

The Hawk found his targets pathetic, yet somehow entertaining. Their group consisted of an old Sheikah woman, a dark magic user, and the King of Hyrule. Ganondorf had known about them for weeks now, sending scouts out to gauge their slow progress through the woods. This was the entertaining part. See, Ganondorf didn't want to just pounce on them. There was no fun in that. No, he was waiting until they were close enough to smell their goal. That's when he sent the Hawk out.

Grinning to himself, he changed his position in the tree again. They would be coming soon, like rats into a trap.

As if reading his mind, a sharp imitation bird whistle reached his ears. A bluebird, which was their signal they had decided upon back at the fortress. That meant they were within a quarter-mile radius of their hiding spot.

The Hawk selected one of his many hidden throwing knives and gripped it tightly, body humming with adrenaline in anticipation of the coming brawl. Not that he expected them to put up much of a fight, they were hopelessly outnumbered after all.

Soon, the team of hopeless refugees were within the Hawk's sight. If the trees weren't there, he would have seen them long ago. He identified each target individually: the silver haired Sheikah woman, the blonde female mage, and the only male, the King of Hyrule. Take the kids alive. Kill the woman. Those were their orders.

Pursing his lips, he gave a shrill whistle, this one resembling a cardinal's call, which signaled the men to get into positions and prepare themselves. A second whistle meant attack.

Curtains were up, and the show began.

They were passing beneath his men now, and the Hawk began to do what he did best. He noticed things. For example, the King seemed to be distracted by something since he had a vacant look to him and frequently tripped over his own feet. Another interesting observation: the girl, who was engaged in a seemingly boring conversation with the woman, kept sneaking glances over at the King when she thought the Sheikah couldn't see her. Though of course the woman, who he now thought to be a family member due to the similar red eyes and the compassionate smile on her face, saw her sneak every glance.

Interesting. Interesting indeed.

He gave the second whistle. Being interesting wouldn't keep the woman from being killed and the kids from being captured.

The back group filed in and blocked the path behind them, silently though, so that they were still unaware of the impending ambush. In theory, they were supposed to remain unaware of the force cutting off escape and consequently not expect the larger force to appear in front of them.

However, to his dismay, the girl happened to turn around and scream. This woke the boy from his dreamland and had the Sheikah drawing weapons.

_Shit. _

Their element of surprise was lost. Now all they had were their sheer numbers.

The Hawk remained perched in his tree and watched as chaos broke loose below. His Highness the King had drawn his sword and was fighting his way through the growing crowd of men, and the Sheikah woman was alternating between stabbing his men with a long knife and knocking his men out with Sheikan combat. His real problem, however, was the little mage girl, who apparently had more practice than Ganondorf had anticipated and was taking out scores of men at a time.

She would have to be stopped immediately.

He supposed he could jump down and forcefully stop her himself, but why not emotionally compromise her instead? Death was a much easier way to stop an unexperienced soldier. Much more effective than violence.

Smiling to himself, he selected his favorite knife, a thin stiletto that flew through the air like lightning. Stroking the blade fondly, he admired the weapon for a moment more before seeking out his target.

There she was, the silver-haired Sheikah woman, punching one of his swordsmen in the face before cracking his skull into an archer's.

He wondered what she would think of before she died.

The knife flew from his hands and buried itself in her throat. Her red eyes widened in shock, and she collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from her open mouth. Funny, her eyes were the same color as the blood.

"Aunt Impa!" the girl shrieked. "Aunt Impa!"

Just as he thought. She rushed from the fray to kneel by the fallen body of her beloved aunt. Soldiers surrounded them immediately, a sword to the sobbing girl's neck. The King was distracted just long enough for a man to disarm him, leaving him wide-eyed and defenseless.

"No! Aunt Impa, please!" she moaned, completely ignoring the steel on her skin.

The Hawk leapt from his position in the tree and landed gracefully besides a pile of bodies. Chuckling softly, he waded through the carnage and stood before the King, who was also surrounded and stood with his hands up in surrender.

He couldn't keep himself from full-out laughing at the sight. The girl's sobbing in the background made it all the better. There was just something so satisfying about seeing a figure of power completely vulnerable and caving into defeat.

He looked like a little caged lion cub with his messy gold hair and feral snarl. The comparison only made him laugh harder.

"What's so funny?" the little lion King growled, his raging blue eyes locked on the Hawk.

"What isn't funny is the more appropriate question, I think. What isn't funny about this situation, my dear boy?" the Hawk asked jovially, circling the little lion. "You thought you could do it. Just that fact alone, the fact that you thought you could _actually make it_ to the Triforce realm, is hilarious. Then there's the fact that you thought you might defeat me and my men. Hysterical. And then, we have you. The little lion cub trying to fill his father's shoes, trapped and scared. I find this all downright _uproarious._"

The cub didn't say anything. He simply stared, a determined fire blazing in his eyes even though his hands were trembling.

"Though I must admit, _Your Majesty_, I do admire your courage," the Hawk sneered, falling into a mock bow.

His men did the same, laughing and shouting as they did so.

"Long live the King! Long live His Majesty King Matthew!"

"May the goddesses bless the King!"

"All hail the mighty King of Hyrule!"

The boy stood in the middle of them all, pale and swallowing hard. The Hawk hoped he would cry. The only thing that would make this day better would be the sight of tears spilling from the little lion's baby blue eyes.

Among the jeers of the soldiers, the Hawk noticed that one sound had ceased. The mage's crying had stopped completely, and though she was still on the ground by her aunt, her eyes were on the lion.

"_King_ Matthew?" she whispered, locking eyes with the king in question. "Mattie..."

"Did he lie to you?" the Hawk asked. "Your precious Mattie is a liar? Hard to stomach, isn't it. You truly thought this boy could do no wrong? Love is blinding. Feelings have no advantage on the battlefield, girl," he hissed, reveling in the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

"Stop," she choked. "Stop!"

"Leave her alone." It was the lion speaking, his voice cold and harsh. The Hawk's eyes lit up. This story had a twist! Perhaps the boy stole glances at the girl as well!

"Are _you _telling _me _what to do? You've got some nerve, little lion, considering you're the one at swordpoint." He walked over to the cub and leaned in close, grinning maliciously. The cub didn't flinch.

"You're going to die, and so is she. You have one purpose to fulfill, and after that you're useless to the _true _King. Not that you aren't useless already. Look at the state of your country. Going to a war you will lose. You know, maybe he'll keep you alive so you can watch your kingdom burn and your loved ones die. That's got to hurt a little," he hissed in the lion cub's ear.

Stepping back, he watched gleefully as the King tried to keep himself regal and composed. His lip quivered, his hands were balled into fists. Hatred radiated from him, and the Hawk loved it. He loved every minute of it.

"You're a sick bastard," the little lion hissed, glaring icy blue daggers at the Hawk. "I hope you rot in hell!"

The dagger was in his stomach before the Hawk could register the movement. He staggered back, head swimming. Everything moved in slow motion, and he watched with mild interest as men jumped forward and knocked the lion King over the head, rendering him unconscious.

Sinking to his knees, the Hawk heard none of his men's cries. The kid had fight in him. Though he supposed all lions did.

As he died, the Hawk continued to notice things. He noticed how his blood rolled off the blades of grass. He noticed how his heart was slowing beat... by beat... by beat...

The last thing he noticed was his men hoisting him up, pressing cloth to his wound, calling to him.

Too late, he wanted to croak. The lion won _my_ battle but he lost _the_ battle just make sure our King wins the _war_...

With that, he succumbed to the darkness and he felt no more.

* * *

><p><strong>Yikes that was weird. Not really sure where the sadistic Hawk came from, he just wrote himself. Anyway, reviews are appreciated and so are votes in my poll! Thank you all so much!<strong>


	46. Chapter 45

**Hey everyone! Happy August! Only not really because that means school and school means homework. URgh. Stupid school aside, thank you all so much for 900 reviews! Never thought I'd still be here 45 chapters, 900 reviews and a year and a half later. Yikes. Anyway, you all deserve ice cream. Like Dairy Queen, Or Ben and Jerry's if you're classy like that. **

**Thanks a billion and five to Screen, Personinacity, Sheikagal, WolfenAmphithere, Guest 1, Guest 2, Guest 3 (900th reviewer!), Jamesfreakinbond, KaijuKnight, Farore64, xCrimsonLoftwingx, Guest 4, Allieo, LoveMadness, Kamil the Awesome, Darkblaze40, RandomButLoved, Jupsi, A Certain Unfortunate Guy, burning book, ShadowNinja1011, and LauParisi for reviewing!**

**Allieo: Yes, thanks for your input. **

**It's so fun to be snarky online to the people you know in real life. It's a secret pleasure of mine. Anyway, onto the story!**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p><strong>Oh there you go; dress to impress, you can wear the crown but you're no princess.<br>-Fall Out Boy**

* * *

><p>(Chapter 46)<p>

(Zelda)

It's not easy to just wait around with your impending doom hanging over your head. Uncomfortable small talk is passed. Riddles are exchanged to pass the time. People you knew to be strong are reduced to sniveling messes, and _everybody_ has cried _at least_ once thinking no one can hear them.

The issue has never really been brought up. Sometimes you'll hear two people whispering with their heads together between the bars, wondering if there is _anything _we could possible do, but really we've all subconsciously agreed that there really is nothing we can do about it.

He will force us to bring upon the destruction of the land as we know it, and then he will kill us. I say that casually now, like I'm talking about the weather forecast for next week. Cloudy with a hundred percent chance of death and destruction.

Sighing, I stretched out on the hard stone floor and reached my hands up towards the ceiling, my fingers trailing sparkles as I lazily traced patterns in the air. Magic has been a large portion of my entertainment recently. I've gotten quite good, actually. If the bars hadn't been magic repellent, I would have escaped long ago.

Escape. When did that become the most frequently thought about word in my vocabulary? How did I go from a typical teenage girl to some magical freak rotting away in a dungeon? I had just started to feel like a normal person with an actual social life, when suddenly I was sucked into the world of weapons, bad guys, and "this isn't supposed to be possible."

My emotionally unstable boyfriend has the weight of saving the world on his shoulders. Two of my good friends have turned into sadistic evil psychos. And my father is the rings leader of all things bad and the reason I'm in the situation I'm in now. The icing on top of the cake: he's not even my real dad. I was kidnapped with a convenient case of amnesia.

I feel like hell. Like this burning hole of anger and emptiness is eating me alive from the inside out. Any ray of hope I might have had has been squashed underneath Pap- underneath Ganondorf's boots.

To make it worse, I've been having these dreams lately. They're terribly vivid, and I've started to suspect that perhaps they are visions of some kind. I see a dark army marching, burning villages and wreaking havoc as they go. Last night, I saw a woman murdered and two people taken prisoner. Sometimes I see myself crying over a bloody corse, blood soaking through my dress and staining my cheeks.

Everything is getting worse and worse. It's all piling up and I know I'm tailspinning, but I don't know how to stop. All I can do is contribute to the fall.

"You are a damn dirty cheater," I heard from a cell across from me.

Sitting up, I saw Sheik glaring down at a magically drawn tic-tac-toe board while a triumphant looking Saria grinned across from him. The shimmering green o's were lined in a nice row, while a couple golden x's were scattered across the spaces.

"I won fair and square," she said, sticking her tongue out at him before waving her hand over their board, effectively clearing it. Rauru had been teaching all of us magical tips and tricks since he had arrived.

The formerly mentioned old man was watching their game with mild interest, since really it's the only current form of entertainment. "It's kind of hard to cheat at such a simple child's game, Sheik," he pointed out sagely. Pardon the irony.

"Maybe you just suck," Darunia offered helpfully, leaning over to join in the conversation.

"Don't mock me, you walking hunk of rock. I'll chisel you into a statue," Sheik muttered angrily as he drew another x on their board.

"Let's not call names now," Saria chided as she once again blocked his path with a green o. Muttering a curse word, Sheik scribbled a messy magical line over their game before crossing his arms and turning away.

"I don't want to play this game anymore. It's stupid and dumb."

"Stupid _and _dumb? That's just crazy!" Darunia teased.

Sheik groaned and laid down on the floor of his cell. "I've been locked up here too long and I want to kill every single one of you," he groaned, massaging his temples.

"Ganondorf will do it for you," I reminded him with sarcastic cheerfulness.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, shifting uncomfortably in their cells. I sat up a little straighter, sticking my chin out and crossing my arms. It's only the truth. They can't cry about this every time someone says it out loud.

"Well you're just a great big bag of happy," Sheik commented.

Another silence. Huffing angrily, I turned away and stared at the wall. I'll show him happy, right after I stick a sword five feet up his-

"Hey, what did the Zora say when he swam into a wall?" Darunia asked, effectively breaking the quiet that had fallen over the group. Of course it had to be with a dumb joke.

"Excuse me?" Lulu demanded, cracking one eye open to cast Darunia a wicked glare.

"Dam," he giggled.

Sheik snorted, and Rauru and Saria tried their best to hide their smiles. Lulu rolled her eyes.

"What's the difference between a Goron and an eggplant?" she asked.

Darunia narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"About three IQ points," she responded, smiling sweetly.

Sheik and Saria burst out laughing as Darunia glowered at her. It was Rauru's turn to roll his eyes, though he was chuckling too. I simply sat there, leaning against the cold hard wall.

"Hey now, let's not bring stupid stereotypes into this," Darunia warned, nudging Lulu through the bars.

She shrugged and placed her hands on her swelling belly. "You started it."

Lulu has been growing progressively grumpier with the passing time. I think it would be safe to say that her temper has grown proportionally with her stomach. Where she used to be the sweetest, most innocent girl I had ever met, she now would bite your head off if you so much as looked at her.

Darunia and Sheik are a pair of clowns, never serious and always ready to lighten the mood. Saria plays the role of mother, while Rauru is like the favorite grandfather. I guess that makes me the depressed teenager.

We're just a happy family down here, really. Just a happy family on their way to the slaughterhouse.

Heaving another sigh, I slumped against the wall and lay myself flat on the floor again, stretching out in my spacious jail cell. I bet they used to keep at least fifteen people in here. There's one thing I can be positive about. At least I'm not stuffed in here with fourteen hairy drunkards. Lucky, _lucky_ me.

The dungeon door creaked open, and we heard the familiar clanking of an armored guard down the stairs, though this time there was another sound accompanying it. A shuffling noise. Muffled yells.

Everyone's favorite prison guard Leroy entered the room, dragging some poor girl with a sack over her head with him. Her hands were bound with magic resistant cuffs. The sixth Sage.

_This means he has them all. _

A lump grew in my throat, and I seemed unable to swallow it. Shit.

"Attention everybody, this here is your brand new cellmate," Leroy announced, yanking the hood off of the girl.

She was a Sheikah, her red eyes gave that away immediately. Ratty blonde hair tumbled down among her shoulders, and her lips were curved into a snarl.

"Teagan?" Sheik asked, eyes huge. He scrambled to the front of his cell and grasped the bars. "Teagan!"

"Sheik?" the new girl, Teagan, asked, mouth falling open. That has to be his sister. Poor girl.

"Aw shut up, lovebirds," Leroy sneered, pushing Teagan forward and shoving her into the last empty cell. Locking the door, he turned to look at all of us. "Tonight, you're all gonna be moved. The little goddess kid has graciously provided the location of the Triforce Realm, and you're all gonna be transferred there. Just thought I'd let you tramps know."

With that, he clanked back up the stairs and slammed the door.

"Moved, tonight?" Saria asked, dismayed.

"Teagan! Oh my gosh, what are you doing here? Are you okay?" Sheik called, disregarding Saria's comment.

"Sheik! I'm just glad you're alive! I was so worried," she choked, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I thought you had d-died or been kidnapped, we had been going to the po-police..." her words became incomprehensible through her sobs, and she trailed off.

"Why are you here, Tea?" he asked again, craning to see her through the bars.

"She's a Sage, obviously," Lulu snapped. "You're the only one with no real reason to be here. I wouldn't be surprised if they killed you before we left tonight."

Sheik glared at her. "Gee, thanks Lu. Makes me feel great."

"It's a legitimate possibility, Sheik," I warned. "They probably only kept you alive this long-"

"As bait for Teagan, yeah yeah," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Sheik," his sister called, having regained some of her composure. "I have to tell you suh-something. M-mom and dad... Aunt Impa... They're all dead, Sheik. They're dead and I don't know where Mattie is and we're going to die too!" she cried, relapsing into hysterics.

Mattie... What's so familiar about that name...

"Dead?" he echoed quietly, color draining from his face.

Saria reached through the bars, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Oh goddesses... Sheik..." she whispered.

"Mattie? The King, he's here?" Rauru asked the crying girl.

"I don't know!" she wailed. "They knocked us out, I don't kn-know where he is!"

I held my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, letting all conversation fade into the background. This is too much information at the same time. First, Sheik's sister is here and she's the sixth Sage. Second, she came with the King of Hyrule, whom she is familiar enough with to call 'Mattie.' Third, Hylia has been tortured into telling Ganondorf where the Triforce Realm is, and we're all being moved there tonight.

Goddesses, everything is going to be over fast. All that's left is for Link to come to the Triforce Realm looking for Aryll... and he'll fall straight into Ganondorf's trap.

Biting down on my lip, I opened my eyes and uncovered my ears.

The noise level had lessened considerably, though Teagan's sobs probably weren't as muted as she might have hoped, and people were talking in hushed voices.

Rauru was attempting to pry information about the King from Teagan. Lulu and Darunia were quietly discussing the move and what that meant in relation with our inevitable doom. Saria was trying to comfort Sheik, who had turned away from everyone and was curled up in a ball.

"We're screwed," I muttered.

"I was pretty much thinking the same thing," Darunia sighed, smiling at me sadly.

"I decided I was screwed when I woke up in prison," Lulu said bitterly. "Not so sure why it took you guys so long to decide that."

"Well I was just thinking that someway, somehow, we'd be saved. Maybe it'd be a dream. Maybe a superhero out of a comic book would swoop in to save the day. I guess now I realized all of my hopes were just stupid fantasies," he told us.

"Reality is a bitch," Lulu stated simply.

That made me grin a bit. Darunia smiled too.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," I sighed, smoothing out my now wrinkled and dirty imitation princess dress.

Darunia had basically just described how I had felt at the beginning of all this. I knew Link was going to save the day. Even when I was kidnapped, I still knew that everything would be okay. I was confident that a hero would save me, or that I could escape, or that things would never get to the point of certain _death_.

Then I grew up a little.

I realized a multitude of things all too late. The first and foremost being that Ganondorf was a master strategist. He had every twist and turn of his plan set, with backups for his backups and hidden game changers ready to use. Going to kidnap Zelda? We'll just stick Nabooru with a magical disguise in her place to cause a little emotional trauma. Can't get the King of Hyrule to cooperate in my evil plans? Fine, guess I have to wage a war. He's a genius.

The second thing I finally realized was that Link has problems of his own. He has things to do and gather, and people to save. For awhile, he didn't even know I was gone. I was not and wouldn't be his first priority. I figured out that if I didn't get out myself, I wouldn't be getting out at all.

And when I couldn't out myself, I realized one last thing, summarized in Lulu's three simple words.

Reality is a bitch.

* * *

><p>(King Matthew)<p>

He was dragged into a massive throne room, prodded at by spears and nasty words. Despite the circumstances, he held his head high as he had been taught to do. If anything, it was all he was good at.

He felt the golden eyes on him as soon as he entered the room. They watched him, judged his every move. They were sizing him up while at the same time breaking him down, reducing him to dust.

They belonged to the massive Gerudo man, the one whom he had met so long ago in his own throne room. Now it was the man in the throne, and Matthew before him.

Somehow, this was a lot scarier. For the first time ever, Matthew wished he could be locked away safe in Hyrule Castle for the rest of his life.

The spear-happy guard forced him to his knees before the throne. He held back a wince as his knees hit the hard marble.

"Kneel before the King," the guard sneered, his breath hot by Matthew's ear.

The King of Hyrule muttered a profanity under his breath, something that sounded a little like "stuck shoe," shooting the guard a glare as he did so. Said guard responded by kicking the King in the side. Matthew doubled over, but refused to let out a yell. He felt the golden eyes on him. He wouldn't give the man the pleasure of hearing him scream.

Straightening up and biting his lip, he looked the man in the eye.

"We meet again, Matthew," the man spoke, his voice rolling like thunder.

Matthew didn't even bother trying to get him to add the title before his name. Like it mattered anymore.

"Yeah. How's it been?" he grunted, fidgeting with the scratchy rope around his wrists.

"Things have been going absolutely fantastic for me. I can't say the same for you, though. Your life seems to be spiraling steadily downwards," he said maliciously, grinning widely.

"Can you just throw me in the dungeon or something? Or did you honestly bring me here to brag like a preschooler?" Matthew asked.

"On the contrary. I'm not bragging, I'm merely pointing out that you are going down, and you're taking your country with you. Hyrule is at the brink of a war that she _will_ lose, and that's the least of her problems. Tonight, I'm taking you and several others to the Triforce Realm. Once I open that, and I will, Hyrule will be dead as you know it. Sorry to say it, _Mattie_, but checkmate. You lost this one, boy."

Matthew swallowed hard. _Goddesses help me. Please. _"You're awful cocky. Haven't you ever heard the expression 'don't count your chickens before they hatch?'" he snapped.

"My dear King, don't you see? They're already hatching. You're imagining possibilities that aren't there. _You lost_. The sooner you come to terms with that, the better. After all, you and I will be spending plenty of quality time together. I plan on keeping you around after I've taken over as supreme ruler of Hyrule. I want you to see. I want you to be my servant. I want to strip you of your dignity and revel in your pain as the land you love dies. Stop imagining, Matthew. Start accepting," the man told the boy, smiling at him grotesquely.

The former King bit down on his tongue, glaring up at the man. "Go to hell," he spat.

The man smiled sadly. "Boy, I've already been there. Guards, take him to the dungeon. Goodbye, Matthew. I hope you can come to terms with your defeat."

Another guard rushed forward, yanking roughly on the collar of his shirt to get him to his feet. Biting back a stream of nasty words, all Matthew could do was stare daggers at him.

As he was being taken away, another guard rushed in, very out of breath and looking flustered.

"Sire! The legion around back has run into some trouble at some small town-"

"Shut up!" the man roared, eyes, darting immediately to Matthew.

Matthew's poisonous look instantly became a smile. Before the throne room doors closed, he caught a glimpse of the enraged man's face, and the guard-who-said-too-much's blood spilling out across the marble. It wasn't quite checkmate yet.

It was simply check.

Miles away, King Matthew jolted awake in the medical tent. The first words he spoke were, "There's another group, coming around back!"

* * *

><p><strong>Eh. Not sure how I feel about good ol' Matthew's bit, but otherwise okay! I'm going to estimate maybe five more <strong>**chapters tops, possible four. As always, tell me what you thought! And don't forget to vote in my poll!**


	47. Chapter 46

**I HAVE LEGITIMATE EXCUSES FOR LATE UPDATES FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE. So, dear readers (or maybe you don't read, I don't know) school has started and let me say it is all homework all the time up here. Not to mention I had three hour swim practices every day right after school. Though high school season is over now, and I have a two week break before club season. *throws a parade* So though I do have real reasons, I am still sorry for the long update. So, so sorry. **

**Thank you soooo much to darkgravity217, Guest6, Guest7, Allieo/Sammy/whatever else you want to be called today, Zelda Maniac 23, Guest5 Courtney, The Thorned Rose, Pharmagirl, Guest4, BananaMilkshake97, Echoing Wolf, Jamesfreakinbond, pyropus, SheepGloves101, Liquidblaze97, tiger7210, EmbersAGlowin, MasterShortPantsx3, Jasontheargan, Sheikagal, Guest1, ShadowNinja1011, WolfenAmphithere, Kamil the Awesome, KaijuKnight, A Certain Unfortunate Guy, The Azure Heart, LauParisi, The MysteriousDude, RandomButLoved, Darkblaze40, darkgravity217, Guest2, Guest3, and burning book for reviewing! I really love all your reviews guys!**

**Though reviews bring me to another point. I love Fanfiction, and I love getting recommendations for new FanFiction, though I'd prefer that you'd tell me via PMs, not reviews on my story. I'd like to reserve the review section for critiques and comments on my work. Thank you!  
><strong>

**Now. Onward.**

**~Leila**

* * *

><p><strong>I'm just a moment, so don't let me pass you by. We could be a story in the morning but we'll be a legend tonight.<strong>

**~All Time Low**

* * *

><p>Chapter 47<br>(Link)

_"This might be a bad time, but my name is Link and I've come to join the army."_

Several pairs of eyes were locked on him, some wide and surprised, others narrowed in suspicion. Tension of unshed violence hung in the air, and Link could see every body in the tent was tense and ready to strike at him if he posed any sort of threat. It was now that he noticed that the majority of the people in the tent were doctors hovering over an unconscious King Matthew.

Oh. Whoops.

-_He looked at the map for the fifth time, tracing the faded ink lines with his finger and checking to make absolutely sure they had arrived at the right spot. The logical map-checking was more for the paranoid part of him's sake; the part of him that tended to act on whims could sense that this was the right place. The air hummed with a palpable magic current, a deep humming he could feel in my bones. Fi looked around, gazing at the perfectly circular clearing.__  
><em>

_"This seems to be the right place," she said. "But now the question is how do we actually enter the Triforce Realm-"_

"Kid, this is a _terrible _time," a middle aged man sighed, sheathing his sword which had been pointed at me since my arrival. The younger man next to him did the same, though his eyes were still suspicious slits. His hand never left the hilt of the weapon.

"I can see that now, I'm sorry-" Link began.

Though at that moment, King Matthew bolted upright, eyes wide. "There's another group, coming around back!" he gasped looking around frantically.

The tent exploded with activity, and Link's surprise arrival was momentarily forgotten. Doctors buzzed about the King like bees, asking him fifty different questions and attempting several different tests all at once.

He continued to push them away, though, insisting he was fine and trying to stand up.

"Get away, I just fell asleep for a moment Dinssake leave me alone! We need to get a group around back... Captain!" his eyes lit up as he saw the middle aged man, shoving his way through the doctors. "Captain!"

"For goddesses' sake, boy, calm down and get back onto that damn cot!" the Captain shouted, pushing the frantic King back down onto the medical bed.

"Viscen, I'm fine, now listen-"

"No, _you _listen. You dropped like stone mid sentence and are out for a solid _hour_ on the night before a potential battle, then suddenly spring up babbling nonsense? You sit down, and you get checked out. Our scouts are saying they see the army only forty miles away and moving fast across the field. The last thing we need is our King down," the Captains said forcefully, causing the King to calm down slightly.

"I'm fine," he grumbled, though he reluctantly allowed the doctors to begin fussing over him.

Link stood there feeling uncomfortably out of place, shuffling his feet back and forth and counting wrinkles on the tent floor. This was a shit idea, and whoever up in the heavens decided the war couldn't be won without him was stupid and should be punched in the face. With a brick.

_-"So there's nothing written on how to get in?" Link asked, pointing at some of the writing in the margins of the map. _

_It was all written in some primitive foreign language, rendering him incapable of telling if there was anything useful. Not that he was __concerned that he couldn't interpret. Luckily for him, he had a walking, talking, blue encyclopedia as a partner. Being the nerd she was, Fi was bound to know what the map said._

_"Give me a second, this isn't a language I'm terribly familiar with..." Fi muttered, leaning over his shoulder to get a better look at the writing. _

_"What kind of language is it anyway? It looks almost like a bunch of scribbles."_

_"It's the goddesses own secret language, I picked up a little in my time but I am by no means fluent-"_

"What are you doing here, kid?"

The voice startled him, and Link turned to see the younger man, the suspicious one, looking at him with openly distrustful blue eyes.

"I told you, I want to join the army," he muttered, fidgeting with his leather gauntlets, suddenly feeling very ridiculous in the conspicuous Hero costume.

"So you just show up out of nowhere in the King's tent wearing that bizarre getup, while His Majesty is conveniently unconscious, babbling about joining the army? That doesn't sound a little suspicious to you?" he challenged, eyes flashing dangerously.

Link frowned, not liking where this was going. "Well, when you put it like that-"

"When I put it like it is, you seem like a very sketchy character and likely suspect in this whole odd scheme. So I'll ask you again: what are you doing here?"

"I'm joining the damn army! Is it suddenly a crime to show a little patriotism?" Link yelled, rage bubbling to the surface.

Silence fell over the tent. Link was painfully aware that several of the doctors were staring at him, as was the King himself. Taking a deep breath, he turned away from 'Captain Criticism' and crossed his arms.

"Sorry," he muttered, resuming the riveting activity of counting floor wrinkles.

"Who's that?" Link heard the King ask as the activity and noise levels resumed their previous highs. Attendants shushed him and pushed him back down on the cot.

He had counted about fifteen more wrinkles, when the Confrontational Comrade decided to speak.

"Anger problem much?"

"It's been brought to my attention," Link replied, not wanting to look at him.

His straight face cracked a little, revealing the barest hint at a smile.

"Captain Shad Skilotian. Pleased to meet you," he said, nodding at Link.

"Shad? Funny, I had a Shad Skylotan as a teacher," Link told him. Shad smiled somewhat uncomfortably. "I'm Link, by the way. Link Carstairs."

Things were quiet again for a moment, and Link chewed his lip as he watched the doctors fuss over the King, who kept sneaking suspicious glances over his way-

_"Something about the stars and a word," Fi said finally._

_Link stared at her blankly. "You're shitting me. You were staring at that for no less than ten minutes and all you have is 'something about stars and a word' are you serious?" he demanded. _

_"I told you I wasn't fluent," she said, shrugging. "Do I look like a walking __translator to you?"  
><em>

_"Isn't that your entire job? To be the smart person when I need a smart person?"_

_"Sometimes you have to be smart for yourself," she replied flatly. _

_"No, you're just too stupid to figure something out for once."_

_She sighed. "Why don't we think about this. What would stars and a word mean?" _

_"Maybe you have to say a certain password at night so the door will open?" Link suggested._

_"Potentially..." she said, nodding her head. Floating to the center of the clearing, she looked up at the sky. The blue of day was beginning to be tainted orange by the oncoming night. "That could be, but what word? There are billions of words in Hylian alone, but there are thousands of other languages and billions of words in those..."  
><em>

_"I'd think it be in Ancient Hylian, right? Or another word in their goddess language. This door was created by them," he said, walking to join her._

_She didn't answer and kept staring up at the sky, face as blank as it had been when he first met her. The colors of the sunset reflected off her glassy face like a mirror, and Link found himself fascinated watching as clouds blew across the sky, blending her face into an artist's __palette of colors. _

_"A storm's blowing in," she said, suddenly turning back to face him. "I appreciate the poetry of your statement, but unless you want to get rained on, those clouds are bad news."_

_Link grinned. "Kind of ominous, don't you think? Dark clouds rolling in on the eve of battle-"_

"So, kid, who are you and why did you come blowing into this camp like the devil was chasin' ya? Were you really that excited to throw your life away?" a new, gruff voice shook him away from his _dimidium. _Or was he the _dimidium? _He couldn't tell, and he wasn't sure there was even a difference.

Shrugging, he struggled to push the rest of the clearing out of his mind. "My ancestors were soldiers, and I've always looked up and aspired to be like them," he told him, unconsciously fingering the hilt of the Master Sword.

"Ah. And dramatically bursting into the King's tent was your way of honoring them."

"Uh, no, Captain sir, I didn't know-"

"I'm kidding. Geez, no one can take a little poking around here," the man remarked, grinning a little. "Captain Viscen of the Royal Army. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand, and Link shook it hesitantly.

"Link Carstairs, wandering vagrant. The pleasure is all mine."

Captain Viscen nodded thoughtfully. "Vagrant, that means you have no family?"

"None that I'd like to go back to."

Sighing, the Captain looked at Link with tired eyes, eyes Link thought were way too old for a man of his age. "Son, I do hope you know what you're getting yourself into. This isn't some silly game. There is a madman ready to destroy our land as we know it, and it's gonna be a bloody battle to stop him. People will die, and there will be lot's of blood and guts and screaming. Do you even know how to use that archaic old sword of yours?"

Link had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, and had to keep himself from cringing at the 'archaic' comment. No one insulted his baby like that. "Yes, sir, I know how to use a sword. Why would I come here otherwise? This isn't some walk in the park for me either. I know what this is, and I've come to help stop it," he said flatly.

Viscen nodded. "Right, then. Mind if I see that blade of yours? I haven't seen a hilt design that intricate in years, it's practically antique!"

Link nodded stiffly as he unsheathed the blade. One more word against his precious sword meant decapitation. "Yeah, just be careful though. It has been... passed down my bloodline, if you will."

Shad leaned over with interest as Link held the sword out to Viscen, the light in the tent reflecting off the blade. Viscen gripped the hilt and Link let go to allow him to hold it. As soon as Link's hand left the hilt, the sword fell out of Viscen's hand and clattered onto the tent floor.

"Hey, careful!" Link protested.

"Sorry," Viscen wheezed. "It's just... That is one heavy sword you've got there!"

Link frowned. "Heavy? It feels pretty normal to me."

"Maybe you're just weak," Shad chimed in, grinning at Viscen, who glared at him in return.

"I just had a bad grip, that's all," the captain grumbled, stooping to retrieve the sword.

Link watched with mild interest as Viscen grabbed the sword again and attempted to lift it. The man's face was red with exertion, a vein throbbing in his forehead from the physical effort, yet he could not lift the sword. He even tried to lift it with two hands, but the blade wouldn't budge.

Panting, he abandoned his efforts and looked at Link, wild curiosity in his eyes. "What in the hell?" he asked, wiping his forehead, which glistened with a coat of sweat.

The Hero shrugged, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips. Shad rolled his eyes and shoved Viscen out of the way. "You're such a weak broad."

The younger captain's insults soon became grunts of frustration as he attempted to lift the sword. Confusion and anger clouded his face as he yanked upwards to no avail.

Laughing, Link bent over and picked the sword up with ease, re-sheathing his precious baby. Not so 'archaic' now. "It must like me better," he commented, reveling in the soldiers' shocked faces. He made a mental note to ask Fi why the sword only worked for him later.

"I- um... huh. Well that's... unique," Viscen stuttered, gradually regaining his composure. "I suppose we better see how good you are with it so we, ah, know where to put you and such."

"Yeah, sounds good," Link agreed, following Viscen out of the tent. As he followed the captain, he noticed the King staring at him with a peculiar expression on his face.

This was forgotten as he emerged out of the tent and into the cold night. Shad followed him and went to stand by Viscen, who had his sword drawn.

"I'm just going to have you spar with me for a little so I can gauge your skill level," Viscen explained. "We wouldn't want to station you on the front lines if you couldn't even defend yourself from someone aiming to disarm."

Link nodded and drew his own sword and shield, walking towards Viscen-

_"You can't read anything else? Not even letters?" he demanded._

_Fi shook her head sadly. "A few random characters here and there, but nothing of real import. We're stuck for now."_

_Link exhaled impatiently, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. Aryll was waiting. Maybe captured, if the King of Evil had gotten his way. Either way, they didn't have time to waste quivering over some stupid celestial word game. _

_"Lemme see that," he said, __grabbing the map out of Fi's blue hands. _

_"Of course, just let me hand it to you civilly," she deadpanned, shooting him a flat glare. Fi could make any expression look flat. _

_"Calm down," Link muttered as he scanned the unfamiliar language, looking for some hint of anything. So far he was collecting a fat lot of nothing, but he wasn't about to give up. _

_Letting out a growl of frustration, he looked away from the map and back up at the dark sky. Clouds had completely taken over the serene sunset, and now the wind was beginning to pick up. What kind of hero was he if he couldn't solve a simple word puzzle?  
><em>

_Looking back at the map, he sighed. The goddesses wouldn't just ask for a word if Link didn't know it or couldn't figure it out. Given he didn't know any words in ancient goddess, the word had to be on the map somewhere, and Fi would have to know it. They wouldn't throw him an unsolvable problem if they wanted him to succeed. _

_Frowning at the words, he noticed that a few of the characters were written in a darker ink than others. In fact, one character per line was bolded in such a manner. _

_"Hey, Fi," Link called. "Could you make out these few letters? I think I might be onto something."_

_Fi drifted over, leaning on his shoulder to get a better view. "Translated to modern Hylian, these are roughly...E...G...A, R... O, U and C. That still makes no sense."_

_But a massive grin had broken out over the hero's face. "No, Fi, it makes perfect sense! That's 'courage' backwards!"_

_As he said courage, a circle of light blossomed from the center of the clearing, growing brighter and brighter until it faded to reveal a set of torchlit stairs receding down into the ground._

_"Who's the genius now, Stupid?" Link taunted, stuffing the map into his pack. _

_"Let's not get overconfident here, Mr. I-Maintained-A-'C'-Average-When-I-Went-To-School," Fi grumbled._

_"Can it, Stupid. Let's go. Aryll's waiting-"_

"Link? You ready?" Viscen shouted.

Link snapped back to attention, blinking dumbly at the captain. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready," he stammered, assuming a comfortable fighting stance. Viscen did the same across from him.

"Alright. Keep it clean, yeah? Disarming only," Shad relayed, sounding bored. "Three... two... one... GO!"

Viscen began circling Link, sizing him up just like Link thought he would. Viscen was a rule follower, a tradition hugger. Link saw that from the moment he arrived in the tent. So the Captain wouldn't be expecting him to throw himself right at him before they were done circling.

Like lightning, Link struck at the Captain, catching him off guard and giving him only seconds to throw his shield up in a weak block. Metal clanged off metal, but Link did not relent. Jumping to the side and rolling to the Captain's back, the hero elbowed him sharply.

Viscen let out a grunt of pain and scrambled to face Link. Just as he thought. As Viscen was turning, Link took the opportunity to grab the exposed hilt of his sword and twist it away from him. Armed with two swords, Link swiftly knocked the Captain's feet out from beneath him and held the two blades to his throat.

"Checkmate," Link sang, sheathing his blade and twirling Viscen's between his fingers.

Wide-eyed and breathing heavy, Viscen sat up. "Boy," he puffed. "Where the hell did you get that kind of training?"

Shad, whose eyes were also open with shock, nodded his agreement. "You average suspicious recruit doesn't just casually know how to pull moves like those. Who the hell _are _you?"

Link shifted uneasily, not liking the general train of conversation. Viscen had gotten to his feet, and both men had their hands on their swords. Link was close to reaching for his, and he would have, if he wasn't trying to convince the two that he wasn't some hostile spy.

"I'm... uh..."

"He's a friend."

A new voice saved Link from answering, much to his relief. Anything that came out of his mouth would have probably been a massive unconvincing lie that would have gotten him in trouble.

Viscen and Shad straightened up immediately, and Link turned to see who his savior was.

Striding towards the trio was none other than King Matthew himself, radiating an aura of confidence and power. Link squirmed uncomfortably. Shit. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as per usual.

"I'd like to talk to him in private, Captains, if you don't mind. It's been awhile, and we have much to catch up on," the King said, smiling coolly.

"Oh, ah, but of course, Your Majesty, we'll just... be in the tent," Viscen managed, gesturing for Shad to follow him.

The King smiled at them as they passed, and continued to watch them as they made their slow retreat back into the tent. The duo's eyes never left Link the entire journey.

As soon as the tent flap was closed, the King whirled to face Link, smile gone and knife out.

"Whoa, hey, hey, hey!" Link protested, raising his hands up. "I thought you said we were friends!"

"That's still up in the air," the King said calmly, regarding Link at knife point. "I just have a few questions to ask."

"Yeah, by all means, go ahead and ask those questions," Link said, eyes never leaving the blade. He could disarm if he wanted to, it just seemed a little rude to forcefully take a knife from one's own King.

"How do I put this? Um... I'll cut to the chase. It might sound a little crazy," the King warned.

"Try me."

"Fine. Are you the Hero of Time incarnate working with Princess Zelda to stop the King of Evil from getting into the Triforce Realm?"

Link blinked. "Yes."

"Well that's good," he said, sheathing the knife. "If you weren't, that question would have called for some uncomfortable explanations."

Link shook his head in confusion. "So you... know about all that? How'd you know it was me?"

"Yeah. More than I'd like. And no offense, but you're not too subtle about your identity. Parading around in the green costume with the Master Sword isn't really incognito. I'm Matthew by the way," the King said, offering Link his hand.

Link looked at it suspiciously before shaking. No one else had figured out his identity. They all just thought he looked stupid. "Link. Might I ask _why_ you're privy to all this top secret information?"

The King- Matthew- sighed, looking up at the dark sky. "Long story. To make that long story short, I'm essentially a key to the Triforce Realm. My kingdom was threatened by the King of Evil, and when I refused to give, he decided to wage war. I was told about you by the Sage Rauru," he explained.

"Oh. Yeah. How's he?" Link asked, remembering the old man who manipulated him into starting his mad quest in the first place.

"Captured. All Six are, actually. All he needs to succeed now is you," Matthew told Link. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you be at the Triforce Realm going to stop him?"

"I'm... managing it. Don't worry," Link said, not wanting to confuse the King with the headache-inducing technicalities of his _dimidium_. "But he has _everything_? A mortal goddess?"

Matthew nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Things aren't looking too good for the home team."

"He doesn't have you though," Link reminded him. "Or me. We have hope."

The King fidgeted. "Yeah. Hope."

Suddenly, he cried out, doubling over and clutching his stomach as if in immense pain. He had his eyes squeezed shut, and let out another grunt of pain, as well as a few other words that Link never imagined anyone of royal status would say. Link rushed to steady him, equally surprised and concerned.

"Your Majesty? Matthew? You okay?" he demanded.

Taking in short, shallow breaths, Matthew nodded. He was trembling slightly and white as a sheet. "Sorry about that," he finally managed. "I um... blacked out for sec. My other half kind of took over, you know?"

Link looked at him curiously. Koume and Kotake had told him that any pain inflicted on your _dimidium _meant double the pain for you. By saying 'other half' he wasn't referencing a _dimidium_, was he?

"Other half? As in you're two people other half?" Link inquired.

Matthew met his gaze, eyes those of a person desperate for someone to understand their struggle. "You're not saying you have..."

"A _dimidium_? Pain in the ass, aren't they?"

"Oh gods, yes! It makes sense now, half of you is here, and the other at the Triforce Realm. But why are you here?" the King asked.

"Felt like it. Patriotism. Hero duties. And why are you here? If you're some key, wouldn't you be needed there anyway?"

"Uh, I'm currently getting dragged against my will into the Triforce Realm, actually. That's what that was about. I resisted a little too hard. But that doesn't matter. He's waiting for you to come straight to him, and when you get there, all he needs to do is kill you for his plan to go through," Matthew warned. "So don't think for a second he'll spare your life, because he doesn't need to and therefore he won't. He's insane, Link."

Link ran a hand through his hair, knocking his hat askew, and sighed. "Great. Just what I needed to hear as I enter the door to the Triforce Realm. Thanks, though."

Matthew nodded. "Why don't you find somewhere to sleep then? You need to be focusing on the bigger problem, not puttering around some dysfunctional army camp. You can go ahead and crash in my tent for right now, I have some last minute strategizing to do anyway.

"Oh. Yeah, that'd be great, thanks," Link said distantly. He couldn't believe he'd met the King at knifepoint, been called out as the Hero, told he was close to failing, and then offered the King's own tent to sleep in. What a night.

"No problem. It's the big one, kind of hard to miss," Matthew said, gesturing towards a tent as he headed back inside the medical tent. "Good luck. Maybe I'll see you on the other side."

"Um, yeah. Thanks! Good luck strategizing and stuff!" Link called back, feeling slightly stupid after he said it. The King reminded him of someone, though he couldn't quite place it. That someone had intimidated him too.

Shaking his head again, he walked over to the largest tent and pushed back the flap. Removing his sword and shield from his back, he flopped down on the King's cot and stretched out. He wished he could say he was getting some rest, but in reality he was really just shutting down this consciousness and transferring his full focus to the other

Sighing, he shut his eyes, concentrating hard and-

* * *

><p>-found himself walking down the dark stairs with Fi floating by his side, providing her own dim bluish light alongside the orange torchlight.<p>

"Welcome back, Captain," Fi offered with a smile. "You ready?"

"For this to be over? Yeah. I'm tired. I miss my sister. I miss sleeping in an actual bed and not smelling like horse all the time."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm incapable of smell and don't notice that you smell like horse."

Link grinned a bit, self-pity receding just a little bit. "Thanks, Fi. I appreciate it."

"Also, it doesn't really matter if you smell like horse. Unless you're planning on hitting on the King of Evil in the Triforce Realm, of course," Fi joked.

"Oh yeah, you know me. My charm has no boundaries. Even evil kings can't resist all this," Link replied, striking a pose as they descended.

It fell quiet as they reached the bottom of the stairs. There were no more torches to light their path. Proceeding with tingling apprehension, Link drew his sword as they walked. He already had a bad feeling, and that feeling merely increased as the traveled deeper into the Triforce Realm.

The hall they were traveling down was dark and didn't show any signs of ending. Link supposed this would be like another temple, fighting through various rooms to reach a "boss", as he had began to call the large enemies at the end.

Pulling out the wand of fire he had obtained in the first of these temples, he whispered, "_Ignis._" Fire burst from the wand, illuminating the path ahead of them. He felt a little better, and handed the wand for Fi to hold.

She took it, but not without giving him a dirty look first. "What, so first I'm your walking-talking encyclopedia, and now I'm your personal slave?"

"No, I just need both hands to hold a sword and shield. Not all of us are immortal, O Wise One," Link snapped.

Silence fell over the duo again. The hallway was beginning to grow narrower and narrower, and Link made sure to keep his sword in front of him at all times. Soon, it got to the point where Link and Fi needed to walk single file, unable to walk side-by-side anymore.

Finally, the hall let out into a small circular room. There were no visible doors. In fact, the room was completely empty, nothing more than a chamber carved out of stone.

"Um, now what?" Link asked, still on his toes despite the seemingly deserted appearance of the room.

"Well obviously there's something that has to happen in order for you to advance," Fi deadpanned.

Link rolled his eyes and chose to ignore her obvious reply. She was honestly no help. Turning in a circle, he could see nothing unique about the room. There was nothing on the floor, nothing on the ceiling, and nothing on the walls.

Narrowing his eyes, he was about to say something to Fi, when a high-pictched shrieking rang out through the room. He jumped, sword immediately at the ready. Before he had time to do anything, a fireball came rocketing straight at him. He dove out of the way with a yell, feeling the heat of the fire on his back as it passed.

Looking towards the source of the fire, he saw nothing. Another shriek was emitted, this time behind him, and Link whirled around to face the source. It was a hideous lizard-like creature clothed in red robes and waving about a wand. A wizard. With a laugh, it flicked the wand again, this time shooting a spray of purple acid at Link.

He barely had time to throw up his shield and pray the otherwise invincible weapon wouldn't disintegrate. Luckily, it didn't, but as he lowered the shield, the wizard creature disappeared with another one of its odd laughs.

"What is it?" he demanded of Fi, turning in a circle and waiting for the creature to reappear.

"Now I have not seen one of those in a long time," Fi commented as the thing reappeared and launched another fireball.

"I don't care Fi!" Link snapped, dodging the flames. "What the hell is it, and how do I kill it?"

"They're commonly called Wizzrobes and can be killed by several strikes with a sword or shot with arrows. You have to do it fast, as their magical abilities allow them to disappear and reappear at will. They specialize in several types of magical attacks such as fire, electricity, acid, and spawning lesser monsters."

"Fabulous," Link muttered, waiting for the 'Wizzrobe' to appear so he could kill it.

With another hearty laugh, the monster materialized to his left. Leaping into action, Link delivered several blows to the creature before it disappeared again.

"Stupid bastard, show yourself!" Link yelled angrily, sick of this vanishing game.

In response to his insult, a burst of fire was shot his way, leaving him almost no time to dodge it. He cringed as he felt the searing heat on his left side. That one definitely singed a few hairs.

When the ugly creature showed its face again, Link was more alert and ready to attack. Landing a few more strikes, the creature finally let out a hideous shriek and died. As soon as the Wizzrobe let out its dying cry, stones in the wall crumbled away to reveal a dark continuation of the hallway.

Blowing his singed bangs out of his face, Link turned towards Fi. "Well that was extremely annoying."

Fi nodded. "Agreed. Are you okay, Link?"

"Yeah. Some of my hair is black, though," Link observed, pulling on a strand lightly. The end crumbled to ash in his fingers, and he quickly pulled his hand back. He certainly didn't want to go bald.

"Right then. Let's carry on," Fi said, floating into the newly opened space.

The new hallway was, thankfully, wider than the last. Not only that, but it was occupied. Every once in a while, a small swarm of keese and the occasional enchanted floating skull would come at Link, but he took care of them with ease. Of course, that was _after_ the initial higher-pitched scream at seeing a flying skull.

After what seemed like forever, though by Fi's count was only fifteen minutes, a spot of light was visible at the end of the hallway. Link was anxious not only to see Aryll, but to escape the flying skulls, and urged Fi along.

"Come on, I'm catching claustrophobia," he whined, quickening his pace. "Also at this rate, I'll be evolving night vision."

"For the hero of this land, you really are a whiny brat," Fi observed. "Now take your fire stick back. We're almost there."

Taking the wand and whispering _deflammo_, he shoved it in his pouch and continued on his way. The thought of seeing Aryll was getting him more excited than a kid on Giving Day. He hadn't seen his sweet little sister in months. He longed to hug her and hear her sing and just know she was safe...

He felt his eyes welling up and immediately switched tracks on his train of thought. Only babies cried. And he, the Hero of Time, was not a baby.

As they approached the torchlight, Link began sensing something was off. "Fi, does that light look weird to you?" he asked.

Fi looked thoughtful at the suggestion. "It looks like light to me. I'm not sure what you're suggesting," she intoned.

Link shrugged. The light just looked..._off_. Then it hit him. This wasn't the typical orangey glow of fire. The light from the room illuminating the tunnel was _pink_.

"Fi, it's pink!" he said. "Why is it pink?"

"Why would I know? I'm sure everything will become clear as soon as we enter the room," Fi replied, annoyed.

Link nodded, still unable to shake the feeling of unease that had settled over him. The duo finally entered the rosy room, which was considerably larger than the last, and Link's bad feelings were confirmed.

In the middle of the room was a black-cloaked figure, standing silently with its back to them. Link gripped his sword a little tighter, preparing for the inevitable fight. Yet the figure didn't move. It simply stood, keeping its back to Link and Fi.

Link, not amused with the statue ruse, began towards the figure. He was startled when it began to hum, a soft female hum to the tune of an old children's song. It was one of those children's songs that is sung happily until you grow up and realize its about a bloody war in which the hero is cut down with the rest of them.

He stopped advancing towards the figure and listened for a second

_And as they cried into the night/ crimson red became the fight._

_Then stars above fell down to meet/ that army who fell down in defeat._

That was usually the part kids would fall to the ground and collapse into a heap of giggles before picking themselves up and starting the entire song over again. However, when she finished humming, she didn't fall, but the door behind him did.

Whirling around, he cursed aloud as he saw his only means of exit closed off. With an annoyed sigh, he turned back towards the cloaked woman.

"Alright, enough with the nursery rhymes. Let's get down to the red and gory."

"I couldn't agree more, Link," said the figure. Her voice was so very familiar, and Link immediately tensed up in rage. She reached up to remove the black hood, and a curtain of blonde hair cascaded down her back.

Turning around, she smiled at him brightly and clasped her hands together. "Yes, _let's _get down to the red and gory."

Swallowing hard, he barely found the voice to speak her name. His whole body thrummed with mixed emotions, the most prominent being white-hot rage. His vision had gone red, and finally he heard himself say it,

"Zelda."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. I figured a sloppy chapter is better than no chapter at all. So my apologies for the messy work, but eh, at least I tried.<strong>


	48. Chapter 47

**Hey there guys! Wow, look at this chapter out before the three month mark, and on Christmas. Miracles do happen. So I think there will be maybe two or three chapters after this. Kind of weird to think about, considering I have literally never finished a multi-chaptered story before! Thanks for being my inspiration, guys!**

**Also, we've hit 1,000 reviews! That is literally amazing. I started this two years ago, and the story has changed dramatically and I feel like I've improved so much. So thank you all so, so much, especially you few who've stuck around since the beginning! *mass Internet hug***

**A big BIG shout-out to JSMac, Clairae, Guest 1, Farore64, Tomcruiseissmexy, Guest 2, Guest 3, Jamesfreakinbond, monlover659, Cy Crystal, Sorceress Of The Fake, FyeHalfmoon, Pixelsaber, AnimeAngel111, Guest 4, Guest 5, Guest 6, Guest 7, LauParisi, burning book, LoveMadness, WolfenAmphithere, Guest 8, Guest 9, Guest 10, Pharmagirl, Guest 11, Guest 12, Guest 13, RandomButLoved, Nintendomadd, Guest 14, Jupsi, Guest 15, Sheikagal, Amitedalion, TheMysteriousDude, Skydragon74193, MasterShortPantsx3, Darkblaze40, ShadowNinja1011, KaijuKnight, and Allieo- I mean Moon Moon. Lots of guests this time! Thanks again guys!**

**~Leila**

**Language warning? There's some angry scenes in this so just a red flag for a few b-words maybe?**

**And a happy holidays to all! Hope you have an awesome winter break! **

* * *

><p><strong>You said I was the most exotic flower, holding me tight in our final hour.<strong>

**...**

**One for the money, and two for the show; I love you honey, I'm ready to go.  
><strong>**How did you get that way? I don't know.  
><strong>**You're screwed up and brilliant, l****ook like a million dollar man.  
><strong>**So why is my heart broke?**

**-Lana Del Ray**

* * *

><p>Chapter 47 (Link)<p>

"Zelda."

The name felt like acid on his lips. She smiled sweetly back at him, clearly savoring his rage.

He hated to say it, but she was beautiful. For so many months, he'd pushed her out of his mind, wanting to forget the wrongs she'd done to him. Yet here she was, and the rage was back but so were his foolish childhood feelings. Since the third grade, she'd been primary recipient of most of his feelings. She _did _look beautiful in the pink dress. But he hated her for that.

With a feral growl, he swung his sword at her head. She jumped backwards just in time, smile gone from her face. His sword arced through the empty space where she had stood only milliseconds before, coming into contact with nothing but air.

"Aw, Link, why so violent? Don't you love me? You told me you did."

"Oh, rot in hell you traitorous bitch!" Link spat, anger multiplying by the second. He was shaking now, unable to contain his immeasurable fury. Fi placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to steady him, though she remained silent and Link still shook.

"I see you've already moved on. Didn't know you had a thing for blue chicks, but hey, we all have our kinks," Zelda sneered, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"I'm going to kill you," Link said in the calmest voice he could manage. "And I'm not going to think twice."

"Not even a second thought for the love of your life since third grade? You're stone cold, Link Carstairs. Though to be fair, I won't be having any regrets while I'm wiping your blood off my blade."

"What gave you the impression that you were the 'love of my life'? I told you, I proposed to a barmaid when I was eight. You were just the rebound," Link retorted, twirling the Master Sword around in his fingers, entire body ready for a fight.

"Mm. Enough of this idle chit-chat, the sound of your voice grates on my nerves," Zelda said, throwing the cloak off her shoulders. It fell to the ground, where it pooled around her feet.

"And the sight of your face is making me sick. So, shall we?" Link asked, nodding at the dagger in her hand.

Zelda grinned wickedly. "We shall."

"Link, I would advise keeping your emotions in check-"

"Shut up, Fi, I never asked for your help," Link snapped, eyes focused only on Zelda. Fi abruptly shut her mouth and, seeing she wasn't wanted, returned to her home in the Master Sword.

Link felt slightly guilty for yelling at her in such a way, but that was drowned in the ocean of overwhelming rage. Everything was red now, and that small part of Link was scared by this. He was falling so fast and losing control to his emotions. Anger was running the show now, and all anger wanted was red. Red vision, red blood, red scars.

Zelda, on the other hand, looked eerily excited. Her blue eyes shone in the pink light, romantic lighting he now realized, and the bright smile had returned to her face.

Circling each other, their blue eyes remained locked, neither one daring to look away. It was silent in the room, though the pair could both hear the rushing of blood and the ever-quickening beat of their hearts. Adrenaline was humming

Finally, tired of waiting, Zelda struck first with a quick slice towards Link's head. He easily deflected the blade and raised his eyebrows as if to say, _"Is that all you've got?"_

Accepting his unspoken challenge, Zelda began executing a series of fast, flurried attacks all one after the other. Link was forced onto the defense, only able to throw up his shield as he was backed towards a wall.

Grunting as his arm grew tired, he kicked out at her, successfully coming into contact with her left kneecap. She let out a yelp and stumbled, allowing Link to kick her again, this time sending her sprawling on the floor.

Quickly recovering, she scuttled backwards and regained her footing, arrogant grin gone and a wrathful snarl in its place. Without warning, she fired a strong burst of magic at Link, hitting him square in the chest and sending him flying backwards. He hit the ground with a thud, letting out a guttural cry as his head hit the stone floor.

She approached him, eyes cold and dagger in hand, ready to strike. As she drew nearer, Link kicked out, knocking her back and allowing himself enough time to get back up.

"So how's life been without me? Angst-ridden and confusing?" Zelda asked as their blades met again, clashing in their struggle for dominance.

"Actually I've been great. You were annoying and good for nothing but defining long words," Link shot back, elbowing her exposed side and causing her to grunt in pain.

She retaliated feigning a dagger strike to the right, and when he went to block that punched him hard in the left side of his face. Gasping, he staggered back, and his confusion allowed for her to swipe her dagger across his undefended chest. Blood blossomed from the shallow wound, and the pain only fueled Link's anger.

"You're going to pay for that," he growled, advancing towards her.

"Come and get me," she taunted, twirling her knife in a show-offish manner.

Link rushed forward, their blades meeting again in a series of strikes. Blow after blow after blow was traded, yet none hit home. Swing, block. Swipe, block. Stab, deflect. It was a cold stalemate that none could break. It was only swing, block. Swipe, block. Stab, deflect.

"You know, I was surprised at how _easily_ you fell for my affections. Did you really believe someone like me would take interest in someone like you?" she taunted as they sparred.

Link responded with a forceful blow that knocked her off balance. Thrusting forward, he managed to cut her arm, pretty well, too. Ignoring the wound, she laughed and continued to speak and swing and block and swipe and deflect.

Heart pounding, rage growing, he fought against her constant blocks with a pressing strength, forcing her on defensive, cornering her.

"You were so naive, so _desperate _for some form of love that you clung on the the opportunity once it presented itself," she continued, relishing the look in his eyes. "That's pretty messed up. _You're _pretty messed up. You're a sniveling, love-starved, half-insane _wreck _that is only functioning because of the talking girl that lives in his sword-"

He cut her off by thrusting her up against a wall, sword to her throat. Breathing heavily, he stared into her eyes, searching for the fear he craved to see. He found none, only a cool confidence.

"Shut. Up," Link snarled, pressing the blade lightly into her neck, just enough so blood began to bloom around the metal. "I'm going to kill you," he hissed, his blue eyes never leaving her own.

"Are you?" she whispered, smiling in a macabre fashion that sent shivers down his spine. "Because I think you would have already done it."

Not swayed, he held his ground, rage never receding. "You're going to hell."

"Mmm, I don't-_ gasp_- think so, Linky," she said, "Because I know something you've forgotten."

"And what might that be?" he growled, pressing deeper and deeper into her neck.

Coughing, a little blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She smiled, revealing red-stained teeth. "Swords conduct electricity."

Before he could react, she grabbed the blade full on, sending strong electric pulses up the metal and into his arm. Screaming in pain he dropped the blade, body convulsing as electricity racked through his body. Sinking to the floor, he curled into a ball, grabbing fistfuls of his hair, wanting the pain to _stop_-

Zelda cackled, coughing and wheezing as she did so. Wiping some blood from her mouth, she smiled at him. "How'd ya like that, Link? Huh? Want some- _gasp, cough_- more?"

He looked up at her. She was supporting herself by leaning against the wall, trying to catch her breath. Blood bubbled from the cut on her neck and steadily gushed from the slice on her arm. The pink dress was red now.

"Wanna- _cough, gasp, cough, GASP_- dance with me, Carstairs?" she giggled, electricity crackling between her fingertips.

"You're going to die," Link managed, beginning to stagger to his feet. He needed to get to his sword before she-

Another blast of electricity hit him squarely in the side, and he screamed out in agony, spasming and clenching on the floor. Trembling, he raised his eyes to look at her again. She was walking towards him, wiping blood off her neck with the back of her arm.

Ignoring his body's protests, Link rolled away from her, thoughts racing as he attempted to form some sort of viable plan. Zelda smiled sadistically and held up another electrically charged hand.

_"The Goddess Shield. It never breaks, never burns, and is immune to all electric and magic attacks."_

With a grunt, Link managed to get his shield off his back and throw it up just as she threw it. The ball of energy hit the shield and dissipated instantly. He breathed out a sigh of relief, glad he had heard Rauru's words correctly. He had almost expected the old man to have been lying about yet another thing and be violently electrocuted to death.

Dragging himself to his feet, he glared at Zelda, who smiled at him back. Her smile was unnerving, no longer white and beautiful but red and terrifying.

"You're going to- _cough_- die, Link," she rasped. "The least you could do for yourself is accept that. If not by my hands, then by my- _gasp, cough_- father's. You're a dead man walking!"

Her voice had risen to a choked shout.

"Your father?" Link questioned, not appealing to her dramatics, but rather hoping to keep her talking and distracted so he could get to his sword.

"Yes, _my _father. Did you think I was talking about _her _fath-" she cut herself off abruptly. "Of course you thought that."_  
><em>

"What the hell are you talking about? You're insane, Zelda. Absolutely freaking insane," Link spat, inching ever so closer to his precious sword.

"Oh, you think that. But you're the_- wheeze-_ crazy one, not me. Your whole little quest was crazy. What was it even based on? You don't care about Hyrule! You just were chasing after your little_-cough, COUGH-_ sister, and why, because some strange old man told you to? Who does that?" she ranted, taking the opportunity to fire off another electricity sphere.

He easily deflected it off his shield. Her endurance was running low, and her attempts at playing offense were weak. That cut he'd given her in her neck was giving her grief.

"I went because I'm the Hero, stupid," he spat. "I would have gone whether I wanted to or not, it's in my blood. And you're the one to talk. You went right along with me!"

"At least I had a motive that made sense. I was there to get close and- _cough, hack- _kill you."

"Well, look how well that turned out for you. Choking on your own blood," Link sneered, eyeing his weapon. He was so close... Just a little further...

With a snap, a set of magic glowing chains appeared over his blade, strapping it securely to the ground. Letting out an animalistic growl, his eyes flew to Zelda's.

"I hope you don't think I'm _that _dumb, Link."

"Well you certainly don't give the Triforce of Wisdom much credit," Link replied snarkily, mind racing as he attempted to think of an alternative to his precious sword.

Zelda ignored this. "Only you can wield it, you know. And since you-_ wheeze-_ were stupid enough to let it out of your grasp, I cut you off from the most important object you possess."

"I could just wait until your bleed out, you know," Link said, the inklings of a plan beginning to form in his mind.

"You're not that patient," Zelda spat. "Besides, who says I can't just heal myself?"

"You don't know how," Link taunted. "If you did you would have done it by now."

With an angry roar, Zelda hurled another magic ball at him. He dodged it easily, laughing as he did so. Charging towards her, his fist connected to her jaw, sending her reeling. Before she could recover, he punched her again. And again. And again.

_Crunch. _Her nose crumpled, blood flowing from it in streams. _Crack. _He felt a tooth fall loose.

She put up a feeble fight, trying in vain to get a blow in somewhere. She managed to slap him good once. At one point, she bit his arm. In response, he pulled her hair.

Punch. _Crack. _Punch. _Crunch. _Punch.

Finally, she pushed him away, arms crackling with electricity. He yelped and jumped back, breathing heavily.

She looked like hell. Her face was dripping in crimson, her dress a bloody mess. The ends of her golden hair were dyed red, and she was wheezing and struggling to stand.

Coughing, Zelda managed a grisly smile.

"I hate you," she croaked. "You're weak and I- _gasp, gasp-_ hate you. You can't kill me, Link. You can't, you won't, you can't. I'm _her_. You wouldn't kill _her_!"

Ignoring her psychotic ramblings, Link began to advance towards her again. His prey was wounded. He was going in for the kill.

She backed up a bit, still gasping and hacking. Blood from her mouth spattered on the floor in neat little circles. "You know, you're going to d-die," she informed him. "If not by me, then my father will kill you. My father the_- cough, COUGH- _King of Evil, Link. How do ya like that? My daddy pretty much shot your daddy in the head, and now he's gonna_- gasp- _finish off you-!"

Zelda's eyes went wide, and she looked down at the arrow protruding from her stomach. She looked back up, her blue eyes meeting Link's. His eyes were feral and cold.

"Oh," she whispered, sinking to her knees. "You c-clever son of a-a- _gasp, gasp, COUGH- _bitch."

Her glassy blue eyes never left his, relaying every emotion to him. Betrayal. Confusion. Hurt. Sadness. Fear. And a dying anger that seemed to flood away with her life.

"L-link... I hope you... d- _COUGH- _die."

Those were the last words she spoke. Everything else was gasping and heaving like a fish on a dock. The chains from his sword evaporated. Blood poured from her mouth as she tried to speak.

As she breathed her last breath, her eyes met with his again.

And he watched in shock as the cornflower blue was eaten away by gold. Her pale skin darkened to bronze. And her blood-stained blonde hair gave way to a dark crimson, leaving him unable to distinguish what was blood and what was hair.

"Nabooru?" he whispered in shock.

In her dying light, her lips curled themselves into one final smirk.

And she was dead.

* * *

><p>Link's eyes shot open, and he sat up, breathing heavily. His <em>dimidium <em>had lost consciousness, and he was (mostly) in one body at the current moment.

Swallowing hard, he ran a trembling hand through his hair, trying to sort through the events that had occurred in the chambers before the Triforce Realm.

"Holy shit," he breathed, lying back down, rubbing his aching temples.

That was _Nabooru_? On a list of people to turn out to be murdering psychopaths that hated his guts, Nabooru would be ranked among the bottom few.

Was it always Nabooru? He racked his brain, trying to remember all the last times he had seen 'Zelda.' Was it ever Zelda? If it wasn't always Zelda, then where was she, and at what point did Zelda become Nabooru?

Too many things didn't make sense right then. Link's head hurt like crazy, throbbing with each heart beat.

Wincing, he squeezed his eyes shut and wished like mad that everything would just disappear and his life would magically get better. He wanted to throw the Master Sword in the goddesses' faces. He wanted to see Aryll, he wanted to eat at Telma's, he wanted to talk to Sheik.

Everything was so complicated now. He was trying to fight a war whilst simultaneously stopping the Dark King and finding out the girl he assumed to be a traitorous bitch was not, in fact, a traitorous bitch. His biggest concern used to be passing chemistry.

"Link!"

His hand went to his sword instantly, nerves on edge.

"Link," King Matthew said again, sticking his head into the tent. "Good, you're awake. I wanna talk to you."

Relaxing slightly, Link dragged himself off the cot and stood up to face the king. "'Bout what? Something going on?" he asked, yawning and stretching.

"Kinda. Strategy stuff. I need you in on this; it's big and it's happening soon," Matthew told him.

Link nodded, pushing away thoughts of everything else crazy going on. "Yeah, I get it. Let's go."

The King began leading him away from his tent, making their way through the military camp. Faces glanced up as they passed, each one of them unfamiliar. For that, Link was glad. He would hate to think that anyone he knew was involved in this.

"So, how are things going on the other side?" Matthew asked as they walked.

"I don't know, really. I just did something that I'm confused about, but that doesn't really matter. I'm getting closer to Dark King, and that's what's important."

"Oh, so you met his 'little surprise' for you? That's what he kept calling it. He sent his little witch of a daughter after you," the King said bitterly.

"_Daughter_?" Link cried, eyes growing wide. "She was a girl from my school!"

"And you killed her?" Matthew asked incredulously.

"I, uh, thought it was someone else," Link admitted. "She had on a magical disguise; I didn't know it was her until she was dead. And she would have killed me, so…"

"I guess you do what you have to. What a bastard, sending your old friends after you like that."

"I don't think she was actually my friend after that whole display," Link muttered.

The King grinned. "Attempted homicide does certainly cause question for the strength of friendships." There was a moment of silence before the King spoke again. "Hey, what do you call it when your friend kills you?"

Link looked at him questioningly. "Um, what?"

"_Homiecide_."

Link stared at the King until the ruler of Hyrule's straight face cracked and he began laughing uncontrollably. "Screw you, that's hilarious," Matthew said through his laughter, unsuccessfully attempting to compose himself.

Link smiled and shook his head. "You're like an overgrown ten year-old," he told the King. The joke reminded him of Aryll. She would have thought that was the funniest thing in the world.

"I'm sorry you have a terrible sense of humor," the King said, stopping before a very large tent. "Alright, I've called you here to talk strategy because I trust your judgement and know you understand the real situation here. Inside this tent are all of my Captains and top-ranking soldiers. Don't be intimidated or anything, just stick with me and you'll be fine."

Link nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Matthew pushed open the tent flap and disappeared inside. Taking a deep breath, Link followed suit. Inside, everyone's eyes were instantly on him, and the hero wished he could just disappear.

"This is Link. He's caught up to join with us, and he's a personal friend. I hope you'll all treat him with respect," Matthew addressed the group, voice dripping with powerful authority.

Link found it amusing that the man making stupid jokes about murder could transform into a fearless leader in a matter of minutes.

"Now, let's get down to it. The revelation that there's a group going around back changes things. I have an idea, but we'll have to alter our original plan in order for it to work."

"Are you suggesting we have a secret group as well?" a familiar voice, Viscen's, piped up from the back of the tent.

"Not exactly. I want three groups. A larger one for full-front attack, a smaller one for intermittent strong attacks, and then a large third group to circle back behind the main enemy group and squeeze them."

A few of the Captains nodded, and a burly Goron man began having a technical, jargon-filled conversation with the King. Soon, the whole tent had joined in, and Link was left feeling very confused and very out of place.

Eyeing the entrance, he contemplated just sneaking away. It wouldn't be hard, it was only a few feet away...

"Link?"

He heard a familiar voice, though he couldn't quite place it. Someone he knew a long time ago, maybe?

Turning, he found himself face to face with a very familiar redhead.

"Roy?" he asked incredulously.

"It is you! Where in the actual hell have you been? You, Zelda, and Midna dropped off the face of the earth, and then things started getting weird. And since when have you been buddy-buddy with the King?" his friend demanded, punching him in the arm affectionately.

Midna? That was a new development. Link hadn't heard anything about her. Then again, he never really thought about the people back home. He and Zelda had left pretty suddenly.

"I, uh, we had stuff to do," Link stated lamely. "And we're pals. Recent pals, but pals. And what do you mean 'weird?' Wait, why are _you _here?" Link inquired.

Roy ran a hand through his hair. "Din, we have a lot to catch up on. C'mon, let's go outside."

Link followed Roy outside, head swimming. Did he tell the truth? The truth was insane! But any lie would sound ridiculous, especially since he was wearing tights and had a sword strapped to his back.

"Well, uh, I joined the army, obviously," Roy said, shrugging a bit. "While you were gone, this guy bypassed castle security and threatened the King. Matthew- uh, the King, didn't give in to whatever he wanted, and he… he killed my dad."

"Oh. Wow, I'm so sorry," Link told his friend. He remembered Roy's father being some sort of advisor or councilor to the King.

"Yeah. I- yeah. So I joined the army in some act of revenge, I guess."

Link shrugged. "If I had a dad, I'd do the same."

Roy gave the smallest of smiles. "What about you? Suddenly you dropped off the face of the earth, everyone thought you'd been murdered or something. The guards were looking for a little, but they gave up."

"Oh, well… Aryll and I ran away from home. We were being abused, and Zelda came too because… she wanted to have an adventure or something like that. But they're at Zelda's aunt in Dragon Roost, and I came to… show off my sense of patriotism," Link managed.

It sounded even worse out loud.

"Uh, okay. I didn't know you were being abused," Roy said suspiciously.

"Obviously I hid it, I didn't want to Aryll to be taken by social services," Link explained.

"Oh. Sorry about that, then. Glad you got away."

"Yep…" Link trailed off awkwardly. Now he was wishing he was back in the tent. "So what's been new? Anything?"

"Everyone's gone," Roy stated flatly.

"What?"

"Everyone's gone! First it was you, Zelda, and Midna. Then Nabooru and Sheik, and then a little after that, Saria went missing from her place in Kokiri. People found Sheik's parents mutilated bodies in their house, and no one knows where the hell his older sister is. Also, no one's seen Tetra, and I-" his voice hitched a little. "Everything's just weird, Link. I don't even know anymore."

"Holy shit," Link breathed.

"You can say that again," Roy sighed, sticking his hand through his hair again. "So I'm glad your little 'adventure' has been fun. Because stuff here has sucked."

Link felt a little indignant at that. If only Roy knew what was really up. Though, now Link was questioning whether he himself even knew what was _really_ up. Why were all his friends disappearing? What if they'd all been turned against him, evil spies like Nabooru?

"Hey! What are you two doing, get back in here," King Matthew called, sticking his head out of the tent.

Both obliged immediately, and Link was relieved to get away from the uncomfortable conversation.

Inside the tent, everyone was involved in some debate, and it was getting heated fast. Red-faced men were raising their voices to be heard over everyone else, and a couple especially passionate people had their hands on their weapons.

The King was desperately trying to maintain order, though his voice was lost in the loud sea of yells. Heat was rising, and the debate was quickly escalating. Dignity was dropped as insults and curse words began to fly, and finally someone was shoved, causing a whole new uproar.

In all the chaos, Link's eyes met the King's, and he saw the sovereign mouth "help."

Sighing, Link cleared his throat. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he screamed as loud as he could.

"HEY! SHUT UP!"

All eyes were instantly on him. Shifting awkwardly, the hero continued.

"Stop it. You're all grown men acting like a bunch of crazed gorillas. Get it together, and listen to your king, you ingrates."

Grumblings and shouts all stopped, and King Matthew nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Link. Couldn't have said it better myself. Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted-"

"Your plan is ridiculous!" a burly man yelled. "There's no way we can manage that!"

"Then what do ye suggest we do, eh?" a Goron cut in. "Sit 'round like cattle fer the slaughter?"

"Stop," Matthew commanded, voice taking on an icy tone. "The last thing we need is fighting amongst ourselves. I think we can pull this off, and I need all of your to believe that too. It'll require some sacrifice and a lot of teamwork, can I ask that of you?"

A few grunts of assent were heard.

"Good. So, until we-"

"Your Majesty!" A thin man with a long nose had burst into the tent, face red and out of breath. "Your Majesty! We have news from the scouts!"

"Well, what is it?" the King demanded.

"They've caught sight of the army, both parts of it! They're estimating they'll be here by morning," the man relayed.

"Right. You're dismissed."

The man nodded, bowing low before exiting the tent as quickly as he had entered.

Matthew muttered a few very un-kingly words under his breath, taking a deep breath before turning to face the crowd of captains once again. Assuming his authoritative air, he spoke, meaning business.

"Alright. So this is what we're going to do…"

* * *

><p>The captain prided his army for their ability to move almost silently. Weaving their way through the thick forest, there was absolutely no sound except for the far off hooting of a lone owl.<p>

Not many could boast that their battalion could move as quickly, quietly, and efficiently as his.

Up ahead, lights glowed through the trees, and smoke rose into the sky. Their unaware enemy was about to get a nasty surprise.

Signaling, silently, of course, his men moved into their positions. Everything was going flawlessly. He could practically taste their swift and unforgiving victory. Another signal, and their weapons were at the ready.

All was perfectly _silent__._

Smiling, the captain prepared for the final signal.

This was it. It was time, time for the one swift blow to bring the end of Hyrule as everyone knew it.

"Charge," he whispered, flashing the last signal.

His men burst out of the concealing woods, tearing into the enemy camp. Crying out with adrenaline, his men ripped into the unsuspecting enemy tents… to find them empty.

The charge slowed to a halt as confusion set in.

The camp was empty.

_What in the hell?_

His men all looked to him for direction, but the captain had none to give. It didn't make sense. How could one army simply disappear in such little time? There was no way they could have known of their coming...

That's when he heard it.

The sound of hundreds of bowstrings being pulled simultaneously. The sound of a thousand swords being drawn at once. The command to fire. The command to charge.

And all of a sudden, the King's army burst from the woods around them, appearing from all directions.

The captain knew they were all screwed even before the arrow pieced his heart.

The seamless plan was ripped apart in seconds.

The war had begun.

* * *

><p>Link exited the chamber through the newly revealed door, not bothering to look back at the fallen Nabooru. That was something he didn't really want to dwell on.<p>

Now he was climbing stairs, a never ending staircase, with Fi floating by his side.

Neither of them spoke. They didn't really need to.

War was staring. And the increasing pulsing sensation in Link's hand told him they were pretty damn close to the King of Evil.

It was the climax. The final scene.

_-elbowed one man in the ribs before pulling back and stabbing another in the chest-_

Truth be told, he was a little nervous. New information had come to light, and things that had made so much sense before were now muddy with confusion. For the first time, Link was realizing that he could _die _fighting the Dark King.

Actually, his chances of dying were twice as much as anyone else's. For all he knew, he could get run through in the war.

His heart was racing as he ran up the stairs. He almost wished the stairs would never end. He didn't really want to meet what was waiting at the top.

_-it sounded horrible. Thousands of swords clashing together like a dissonant steel symphony, mingling with the shouts of enraged soldiers and the strangled cries of the wounded-_

"Feel that?" Fi asked, referring to the magical hum in the air.

The Triforce Realm was alive all around the, thrumming with absolute raw power.

Link held up his Triforce hand, which was beginning to glow with every pulse. "We're getting closer."

They fell into silence again. Nervousness growing, Link slowed his pace a little. He was beginning to see a light at the top of the stairs. He wasn't sure he wanted to reach that light.

_(Just turn around run away you don't even have to be here just rUN AWAY-)_

"Link?" Fi asked gently.

The hero's pace had slowed to a walk. Looking down at his flashing hand, he smiled grimly.

"I used to have to wear a bandage over this," he commented, flexing his hand before squeezing it into a fist. "My aunt and uncle didn't want me thinking I was special because of a birthmark, so I wore a bandage over this thing for a good nine or ten years."

Fi didn't say anything.

"That feels like so long ago. I kind of wish I could have that bandage back, you know?"

"Link."

Link looked over at his companion, tears stinging his eyes. His heart pounded, and his knees began to shake. "What."

_-"Look out!" Whirling around, he saw a large man wielding a mace and dodged it just in time. He heard it whistle past his head. Quickly, he jumped to the side and stabbed out, catching him in the side. The man grunted and doubled over. Link didn't hesitate to strike again, this time plunging his blade straight into the man's heart-_

"Stop this right now. You can do this. You have no reason to be afraid right now. This is what you were born to do, and I believe you can do it. So stop sniveling like a small child and go do what needs to be done," Fi said forcefully.

A single tear fell onto the stone steps.

"Come on, Link. I'll be right here with you. You are the _hero_."

"I know," Link said, taking a deep breath and wiping his eyes. Crying was for babies. He wasn't a baby. "I know. And I'm going to do my damn job."

He sprinted up the rest of the steps, emerging out into the light.

_(I'm the hero. And heroes fight to win.)_

"Well, well, well. Nice of you to finally show up, Link. I've been expecting you."


	49. Chapter 48

**Alright guys, final (3?) few chapters. Let's do this. Sorry this took so long to get out, but it took me a while to plan out exactly what I wanted to happen and tie up all the loose ends. Also I'm lazy. So I am very sorry for holding out for all these months!**

**Thanks so so much to Guest 1, Chameleon Eyes, Guest 2, Zeldalover101, Erika Elencia, Pipin-Flik, SomberLuminosity, Link7507, Guest 3, PrettyPonyDress, Guest 4, sirmrfish, Guest 5, Guest 6, Juggems, Kamil the Awesome, Shadowpelt2, Guest 8, Pharmagirl, Sheikagal, Darkblaze40, Jupsi, Shadowninja1011, MasterShortPantsx3, Guest 9, LauParisi, RandomButLoved, SkyDragon74193, and TheMysteriousDude for your reviews on the last chapter! Really, thank you all so much!**

**~Leila**

**Also, this story is the thirteenth most reviewed story in the Legend of Zelda category. I just think that is amazing, considering I started this in ninth grade as a little side project to develop my writing. Thanks for that guys, that is so awesome. :)**

**_[We last left off with Link entering the Sacred Realm and seeing the Dark King. Meanwhile, the war in Hyrule has just begun_.]**

* * *

><p><strong>I'm going to Wichita<strong>  
><strong>Far from this opera forevermore<strong>  
><strong>I'm gonna work the straw<strong>  
><strong>Make the sweat drip out of every pore<strong>  
><strong>And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding<strong>  
><strong>Right before the lord<strong>  
><strong>All the words are gonna bleed from me<strong>  
><strong>And I will think no more.<strong>

**/_Seven Nation Army_ by The White Stripes/**

* * *

><p>Chapter 48<p>

(Link- Triforce Realm)

There was a lot to take in. First and foremost, the King of Evil stood before him, looking exactly how he had pictured him as a child. Tall and dark, complete with a billowing black cape and massive sword.

Then, of course, there was the overwhelming serenity of the scenery, which words could not do justice. The sky was an eternal sunset. A waterfall tumbled in the background, and you could see a faint rainbow among the mist. It was the poster picture of allure. However, the beauty of the Triforce Realm was lost on Link as he noticed the chained entourage standing behind the dark King, guarded by two lizard-like creatures... and Midna?

What was she doing here? What were _all of them _doing here?

Lulu, the cafe girl from Domain. Some Goron he didn't recognize. Rauru, the old Sage from the Temple of Time. The King's _dimidium. Teagan_. _Saria_. _Sheik. _Was that Zelda? The real Zelda? And...

His breath hitched in his throat. "Aryll."

For a second, nothing else mattered. His fears melted away, and all he saw was her. How long had it been? Months. Maybe even a year. It had all started with her. The only reason he left was for her. And there she was, blood on her dress and chains around her wrists.

Her eyes met his, and he was confused. They were Aryll's eyes, but they weren't… Aryll. There was something older, something deeper.

"Link," she mouthed, managing a smile smile.

He wondered why she didn't speak. Or why anyone of them didn't speak, for that matter.

The King of Evil let out a low chuckle, reminding Link of the situation at hand. "How touching," he mused. "She used to be your sister, correct?"

Link tensed. "What do you mean 'used to be?'"

A sinister smirk spread out on the dark King's lips. "So you don't know? Your naivety amuses me, Hero. You were quick to blindly run into this quest without even knowing what you were trying to accomplish. You might be 'brave,' but you're an idiot, and that in itself is a dangerous combination. Those are traits that get you killed."

"You know what else gets people killed? Being powerful and overconfident," Link sneered.

The Dark King grinned. "I'm flattered you think me those things. Please, compliment me more."

"Oh shut up, you sick bastard. What kind of person sends their own _daughter _into danger and kidnaps little ten year old girls?" Link demanded. "Nabooru's dead, by the way. Sorry about that, I thought she was someone else."

Link noticed the way the King smiled and how Zelda's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.

"A small sacrifice, I suppose. I never knew her very well, anyway. I spent all my time raising your precious Zelda over there. Wasn't that brilliant how I got you to hate her? You still do, don't you? Even though you now know it was Nabooru all along, part of you can't help but to hate looking at her."

Link hated how that was true. He hated everything about this man, this situation. He hated how confused he was, how mad he was, how this man had used everything in his power to manipulate him.

"Please tell me you at _least_ know what the basic outline of my plan is. I'd really hope you wouldn't be stupid enough to jump into destiny blind."

"You need to collect the keys from the seven sages, the three Bearers of the Triforce, a mortal goddess, and the eldest member of the Royal Family," Link recited, beginning to realize exactly why his friends were chained before him.

"Very good! You're not completely stupid after all. Before you stand six of the seven sages. You killed Nabooru, the seventh, but I already got what I needed from her, so no matter. Alongside the sages stands the King of Hyrule, next to the Princess of Destiny, who by the way, is also a crown princess of Hyrule."

Link stared in shock, and he noticed how wide Zelda's eyes growing. She tried to say something, to scream something, but no sound came out. Some sort of silence spell, he realized.

"A _princess_? But they're both… they're dead," Link said dumbly.

"Obviously not," the Dark King chuckled. "Apparently this is news to both of you. It seems the King, however, already knew this. Sad that this family reunion is going to have to be cut short."

Link glanced back at Zelda, who was staring off into the distance with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

"And lastly, standing among us is the goddess Hylia in her mortal form."

He balked at that, blinking and scanning the crowd of his friends. "Sheik?" he asked, staring in shock at his blonde friend.

The King of Evil laughed, a horrid, deep laugh that made Link cringe. "How much dumber can you get? Honestly, I'm surprised you've made it this far! Of course not the Sheikah, idiot, he is a bargaining chip to make his sister cooperate. The _little one_."

The little one?

His heart dropped in his chest as his eyes rested on his younger sister. Her hands were knotted in her white dress, and she bit her lip as she slid her eyes up to meet his. But they weren't _her _eyes. He could see that now.

"Aryll," he breathed, taking a step toward her.

Midna raised her hand to stop him, fingers crackling with dark magic.

"Midna..." He froze where he was.

For a second, all he could do was stare at Aryll, who had gone back to looking at the ground, seemingly unable to look him in the eye.

"Everything has pretty much gone my way from the start," continued the Dark King. "I had the Triforce of Wisdom in my grasp, the Sages were easy enough to find, and Hylia was dumb enough to take a mortal form in an attempt to intervene. The only thing that has ever gone wrong is you killing my henchmen who was sent to fetch you." The Dark King clicked his tongue, grinning wolfishly at Link. "It was sure a hassle to bring him back, and an even bigger hassle to find you again."

Link clenched his hands into fists. This man had essentially been the cause of every bad thing that had ever happened to him.

"Link, isn't it? My name is Ganondorf. Funny to think that you were just the annoying kid that sat next to Zelda in class that she used to talk about all those month ago. Now look at you. Barely a functioning shell of a person. You put up a convincing act, but I see right through you. You're holding on to shreds of sanity and functioning purely on intentions of rage and revenge."

"Stop talking."

He felt his face growing warm, hatred coursing through his veins. Blood pounded in his ears, creating a steady rhythm for the clashing of steel and ugly cries of war he could hear elsewhere.

Ganondorf smiled at him, a patronizing that smile made his skin crawl.

_He's riling you up, _Fi told him, whispering in his head. _You can't let him get to you._

But Link's hand was already on the hilt of his sword, his teeth bared in a snarl. _Don't you see, Fi?_ he thought. _He's been getting to me my whole life._

The sword made a satisfying _shing! _as he removed it from its scabbard. He held it out in front of him, offering a silent challenge to the Dark King.

The evil man smiled, revealing very his sharp canine teeth. They looked like fangs.

"Well," Ganondorf said, drawing his own, much longer, sword. "I thought you'd never ask."

Link eyed the blade, noting its length and considerable weight. Ganondorf was right-handed and obviously strong enough to wield the weapon with only one hand.

Suddenly, Link's anger ebbed a bit and he felt very afraid.

_Oh Farore what have I done what am I doing oh gods ohgodsohgods-_

This moment of weakness must have shown in his eyes, for the Ganondorf's grin widened even further. "What is this, the mighty Hero is scared? The Bearer of Courage, savior of the land, is actually _afraid_? My gods, you are pathetic boy. I hope the goddesses are weeping over their poor choice in hero."_  
><em>

Fear and anger warred in Link's chest as he bared his teeth into a snarl.

"Oh, look, the dog is angry!" Ganondorf chuckled.

_Catch him while he's gloating, _Fi prompted, her words slow and gentle. _And keep in mind, the heroes haven't traditionally had experience with harnessing their magic. He's expecting you to come at him with your sword, but you can catch him off guard if you concentrate and __remember what I taught you._

Heart still racing, Link nodded, keeping his eyes on the dark man.

"Have a plan, do you?" Ganondorf sneered. "Wonderful, I was just starting to get bored."

_Concentrate. _

_Focus on the energy, feel it flow down your arm..._

"I agree, let's get this show on the road!" Link yelled as he released a burst of energy.

It hit the Dark King square in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards. Midna began forward to help him, but he held up a hand to stop her. Grunting, he regained his balance and looked back up to shoot a menacing stare at Link.

"Well then, _boy_," Ganondorf snarled, approaching him slowly. "Let us begin."

* * *

><p>(Elsewhere)<p>

"Fire!"

Another volley of arrows flew into the mass of attackers, taking a Lizalfos and a few Gerudo down with them.

Link didn't have very much experience with wars, but he felt like so far, everything was going well. Since their surprise attack, the King's armies had had a definite upper hand.

The Dark King's armies were outnumbered, on lower ground, and obviously exhausted from marching across Hyrule Field. As far as Link could tell, their side had been overwhelming them with very few casualties.

He was surprised by the overwhelming chaos. In movies, wars were portrayed as soldiers marching in definite ranks and with orderly violence.

This was nothing like the movies.

There were people running everywhere, leaving barely enough space to raise a sword. Bodies littered the ground and made it hard to walk. The air was filled with shouting and screaming.

He wanted to run away.

A Gerudo woman dashed at him, a snarl on her face and a scimitar in her hand. He took care of her easily, just a block to the left and a stab to the neck. Blood dribbled out of her mouth as he yanked out his blade.

He was disgusted by how easy it was for him to kill humans. He'd killed Nabooru, his own schoolmate, and now here he was killing dozens upon dozens of people. People with families, with jobs, with unique lives of their own.

But they were trying to kill him, so that made it okay, right?

"Fire!"

Another round of arrows. More bodies hit the ground.

Link grit his teeth as he slashed through a couple Bokoblins. The ugly pig creatures seemed endless; they were a nuisance he didn't mind putting to rest.

He was falling into a kind of war routine now. Block, stab turn. Block, stab, turn.

It was monotonous, horrible, and utterly terrifying all at the same time. There was a constant fear eating at his heart, a fear he'd get stabbed in the back by an unseen scimitar, or impaled on the end of the Dark King's blade in the Triforce Realm far away.

_-grunted as he was knocked back by the sheer power of Ganondorf's blow, stumbling to recover as the Dark King rushed at him again-_

He was nicked by a Lizalfos' crude blade. Shrugging this off as a small annoyance, he plunged his blade into the exposed belly of the creature. He watched as the light faded from its eyes and let it crumple to the ground.

Blood seeped from the shallow cut, creating a thin line of red on his green tunic. It seemed to belong there.

Red and green were complementary colors, after all.

Block, stab, turn. Block, stab, turn. He was beginning to feel a little dizzy. The enemy kept rushing forward, leaving him no time to steady himself.

Block, stab, turn. Block, stab, turn.

_-struggling to block Ganondorf's onslaught of quick, consecutive blows, forcing him back farther and farther. The larger man was laughing, smiling his terrible smile as he raised his sword high-_

"Fire!"

Block, stab, turn, block, stabturnblockstabturnblock-

That's when the horn blew. A high, war horn that sent the enemy running towards its source.

"They're calling a retreat!" someone yelled.

Men began raising their swords in the air and letting out loud victory cries. All Link could do was smile in relief as the enemy army ran back down the hill.

He caught King Matthew's eye, and sent him a thumbs up. Matthew smiled in return, looking exhausted himself. He had a bleeding slash along his cheek.

The celebration was short lived, however, as they saw the large group of reinforcements appear over the horizon. Cries of success were cut short, and the grim expressions were back, this time laced with fear.

And just when nothing could get worse, that's when the dragon appeared.

* * *

><p>(Triforce Realm)<p>

Link was overwhelmed. He had not expected a middle-aged man to be able to fight so well, though he supposed being blessed with the Triforce of Power had something to do with it.

Gritting his teeth, Link blocked yet another devastatingly heavy blow. His earlier use of magic had taken up more energy than expected, and he was beginning to wear out. He knew that the Dark King knew that.

He needed some sort of miracle plan, and right now he was drawing a blank.

"Tired, Hero?" Ganondorf asked, smiling.

Link didn't say anything. He just glared.

"That's too bad," Ganondorf continued, "because I was just starting to have _so _much fun with you!"

"Why stop the fun now?" Link huffed, blocking again. "The party just started."

Ganondorf laughed. "I admire your spirit, boy. But spirit won't win you fights. You're as weak as I thought you were, and you won't hold out much longer."

"Shut up" was the wittiest thing Link could manage.

He couldn't win fights, and he couldn't even think of clever comebacks. What was the point of the Triforce of Courage when the other two were so much more useful? Why did he have to get 'blessed' with the most worthless power of all?

With a mighty shove, the Dark King sent Link stumbling backwards towards the electrified barrier Ganondorf had brought up around them.

He could still see his friends through the opaque gold field. They looked anxious. Saria was chewing her lip, Zelda had her hands knotted in her dress, and Sheik wasn't even looking. Aryll... Hylia... was praying, and it looked like Rauru was as well.

He wondered if they believed in him, or if they were just scared waiting for the inevitable final blow that would leave him dead on the ground.

_Stop thinking like that_, came Fi's voice in his head as he stumbled to his feet. _Never in my thousands of years have I ever traveled with a hero so negative!_

"You can't expect me to believe that," Link muttered, eyes trained on the approaching Dark King.

_Every hero I've been with has been afraid. That's a consequence of the job. However, there is a __difference between fear and negativity. May I tell you a story?_

Link's blade met with Ganondorf's once more. His arms were sore to the point he wished they'd just_ fall off already_, and his head pounded from that most recent fall he took.

_Sure, Fi_, he thought. _Tell me a story._

Metal clashed on metal. Link grunted out of exertion. The Dark King continued to smile.

_I've traveled with dozens of heroes, Link. Each and every one of them has gone through what you're going through, and each and every one of them was afraid. Fear is normal. If there was no fear, what would stop us from sticking our hand in the fire? _

Fi's voice was soothing to Link. The musical drone helped distract him from the fact that he was getting his ass kicked by a middle-aged guy with a humongous nose.

_When I traveled with the Hero of Twilight, one thing I learned very fast was that he had a massive fear of spiders. I would venture to call it a phobia. This was odd to me, given __the fact he was born and raised in a forest and lived in a tree, but they terrified him nonetheless. Well, one of the temples he was questing through was filled with spiders. There were hundreds of them of all different sizes. The last one he needed to defeat was the biggest of all. This thing was as big as a house and disgusting to look at._

Link thought Ganondorf was big as a house and ugly to look at.

He threw up his shield to deflect a powerful overhead strike before quickly jumping back to avoid a stab.

"You seem distracted, hero," Ganondorf sneered. "Pondering the afterlife?"

"I've been there," Link grunted. "And it's quite pleasant, actually. Well, for me anyway. Your ancestors don't look like they're having quite as much fun."

_Every time he __entered a room with spiders in it, the poor boy would freeze. But he never gave up. He had this little mantra he'd run over and over through his head. 'I have to. I have to. I have to.' And he destroyed every single spider, the queen included, because he had to. It was that, or die. See, Link, you're not here by choice. You're here because you have to be. There are two outcomes to this situation: either he dies, or you do. The Hero of Twilight knew this, and even though he was scared, he pushed through because he didn't want to die. All of the past heroes have done the same. But you, you're different. You're floating through like you don't care if it's you or him._

Link grit his teeth, jumping to the side in an attempt to strike. Blocked by the Dark King's sword, he jumped back, narrowly missing being impaled.

He did care, didn't he? He didn't want to die, not this early and not like this. But the odds of him surviving were so low, so why bother...

Maybe Fi was right, in some respects. She was right that he didn't want to be here, she was right about him being scared, and she was right about his negativity. So what was he supposed to do about that?

A bolt of magic inches from his face jolted him away from his thoughts.

"I felt like you were losing interest, hero, and I started getting bored," Ganondorf jeered.

"Well gee, I wouldn't want to bore you, now would I?" Link replied acidly, parrying a strike and finding time to work in a few of his own.

The Gerudo was not only a foot and a half taller and twice as big as him from side to side, but he blocked like an expert, and Link found that the chances of him landing a strike were about the same as him finding a 1000 Rupee at the beach. There was just no way.

Jumping back, the two circled each other. Link was breathing raggedly, and Ganondorf looked amused.

They stayed like this for a moment before Ganondorf lunged forward. Link rolled to the side and attempted to strike, but found himself blocked.

"This is pathetic!" Ganondorf laughed. "I had expected at least somewhat of a challenge!"

Link snarled, fending off the large man's advances. Ganondorf stabbed forward, then caught Link off guard with a mighty kick to his stomach. Coughing, the hero barely had time to roll out of the way of the following slice.

Rolling to the side again, he leapt up, hoping to catch Ganondorf's vulnerable back. To his surprise, he landed the blow. Grunting in pain, Ganondorf whirled around, eyes blazing. Link smirked, feeling a surge of confidence.

_Don't let that get to you. That was luck. Telling yourself otherwise is dangerous_, Fi warned.

Right on cue, Ganondorf let out a mighty ball of energy that hit Link square in the stomach. The electricity fizzled across his body, and he cried out in agony.

Not allowing him any rest, Ganondorf dashed forward. Link barely found the strength to hold his shield up to block.

"_Shit_," he hissed, gritting his teeth in pain.

Scrambling to put some distance between him and his attacker, Link found it hard to think through his pounding headache.

_What do I do? What do I _**_do_**_?_

He was only able to block. It came naturally and didn't require much though, just reflex.

He was probably going to die. He could see this now. Coming into the fight, he'd been a lot more confident in himself and his abilities. However, he'd always been quick to pessimism, and as soon as the fight began going south, so did his attitude. Maybe Fi was right. Maybe he didn't care who won this.

He just wanted it to be over.

Jumping to the side, he managed to block a few more forceful blows. His whole body was trembling with pain, and he felt his grip on his sword weakening. The weapon felt extremely heavy in his hand, and he wanted to throw up.

Letting out a choked noise that somewhat resembled a sob, Link rolled to the side again, avoiding getting impaled.

"Crying, hero?" Ganondorf sneered. "Wanting your dead mother? Because I will gladly send you to see her!"

Link didn't respond. Couldn't respond. All he could do was block.

To be honest, he did want his mom. He wanted to go back to Castle Town and lie on the beach for a few hours. He wanted to eat some of Telma's greasy onion rings with Sheik. He wanted everything to rewind to a few months ago, to when life was alright and happiness was in his grasp.

Yet he was here, Hyrule's fate on his shoulder, and he wanted to cry.

Ganondorf fired off another ball of magic. Thankfully, he managed to dodge this one.

Another ball came hurtling toward him. There was no escaping this one. Cringing, Link threw up his sword. To his surprise, the magic ricocheted off and flew back towards Ganondorf.

This was a surprise to the Dark King as well, and he didn't have time to react before his own magic hit him in the chest.

_See if you can get him to do that again, that was rather effective, _Fi said.

"I can't just ask him politely," Link snapped, dashing forward in an attempt to get him while he was still recovering.

His sword was blocked by Ganondorf's.

"Nice try, boy, but you'll need more than luck to best me," he growled.

Link's heart dropped, and his nausea returned. Taking a few steps back, he ran his options through his head.

Continue to block his strikes until he was either stabbed or collapsed from exhaustion. Attempt more use of magic, even though the burst he managed earlier took a lot of his little energy. Attempt to go on the offensive but get brutally beaten back onto the defensive.

All of them sounded terrible.

He continued to block.

Looking over at his friends, he couldn't help but notice their anxiousness had faded into grim disappointment. He'd been on the defensive for more than an hour. Of course they weren't expecting the positive.

What was he going to do?

_You're going to fight, _Fi instructed firmly. _And you're going to win._

* * *

><p>(Hyrule Field)<p>

Everything had gone steadily downhill since the dragon arrived.

Link watched it now, stomping through legions of men and gobbling them up by the dozen. Dragons still made him nervous. Every roar made him flinch, and every snarl sent shivers through the huge scar on his stomach.

All efforts to stop it had proven useless. Nothing that anyone had done seemed to even slow it down.

"Fire!"

A the catapults fired, launching rocks and bombs at the massive beast.

It didn't even blink.

That wasn't even the worst part.

The vanguard was getting torn apart by dark magic; Zant had arrived, slowly carving a path through the soldiers.

He had a helper, too, a sorceress whose magic was more fearsome than even Zant's.

Link was overwhelmed. Between losing the war and losing to Ganondorf, he had a strong desire to cry.

It was awful. All around him, there were people dead or dying.

It could be him. He could not see an enemy, or slip up on a strike or get sloppy with his defense.

So many things could go wrong.

"Behind you!"

Link whirled around to find a Lizalfos, dagger at the ready. Parrying the strike, he quickly dispatched of it.

Roy jogged over to him, face a grim camoflauge of dirt and blood. Link was sure he didn't look much better.

"That thing is going to kill us all," Roy said grimly, staring up at the massive beast.

"A 'hey, how are you,' might have been nice, but yeah, you're right," Link teased, managing a weak smile.

"I've heard some of the older men talking," Roy continued, "and they say that this is a creature of legends. They keep calling it 'Manslayer,' and apparently there isn't a man alive who can kill it."

"Wonderful," Link muttered, dispatching of an opposing soldier. "Just what we need right now."

Roy laughed bitterly, impaling a Bokoblin on the end of his sword. "Right? I'm so glad my father died for this. Died only to have Hyrule go down in flames."

Link wished he could say something like 'Of course he didn't die in vain. We will fight! We will avenge!" But alas, this wasn't some stupid superhero movie, and he couldn't bring himself to say something that was so grotesquely untrue. So he didn't say anything.

They were probably going to die.

Not only was he fighting a war against various monsters, two magic using psychopaths and a dragon, but he was getting his ass kicked by a 40 year old man.

He was going to die _twice_.

He and Roy were silent for a moment as they fought, cutting their way through the ocean of monsters and people.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link watched Zant get closer and closer. Link couldn't help but feel guilty for the hundreds of people Zant was cutting through in order to get to him. Most were Hyrule's soldiers, but Zant didn't hesitate to dispatch of his own men if they were in his way.

"Fire!"

Another useless round of bombs. The dragon was getting closer.

They were attempting to trip it now, winding ropes around its feet. It was smart, though; it simply reared up and crushed the soldiers beneath its massive feet. The thought of dying in that way made Link sick.

"Have they found any chinks in its scales? Maybe tried shooting projectiles down its throat?" Link suggested, thinking back to his own dragon experience.

Roy shrugged as he slashed at a Lizalfos. "I haven't heard of any weak points. Maybe if we-"

Roy's eyes went wide as a black blade was thrust through his stomach. For a second, the world stood still. Then Link let out a strangled cry and rushed to his friend.

"Oh," Roy whispered as he sank to his knees.

"Farore, Roy you're okay, hey you're fine, it was a scratch right? A scratch," Link babbled, looking at the wound in his friends stomach.

Red was seeping through his blue tunic, and Link was pretty sure he could see organs. His heart was pumping fast and his breathing increased. He felt sick. This wasn't happening.

"Roy? Hey, listen to me buddy, stay with me-"

"Oh my. I didn't realize he was a friend of yours. How very unfortunate."

Link recognized the smooth voice instantly. Looking up slowly, he saw Zant twirling a black-bladed sword between his fingers, a wicked grin on his face.

He began to tremble with anger. "You- you bastard!" he cried.

Roy started coughing now, blood bubbling from his mouth.

"Always hard losing a soldier, isn't it? Is this the first time since your parents that you've experienced loss?"

"Shut up! Roy, come on, you have to be okay!" Link yelled, pressing his hand futilely against the gaping wound.

The redheaded boy tried to shake his head, erupting into another coughing fit. "Stop," he croaked. "Link there's... n-nothing you can do!"

"Listen to the boy, Link. You've lost him."

"No! If I could find a medic, I could... we could..." Link began to panic, frantically searching the battlefield for any familiar face who could help him.

He saw that Zant's goons had formed a ring around them, all looking on with sneers as he held his dying friend. When he looked back at Roy, he saw that his head had slumped forward. His heart dropped in his stomach.

"Roy?"

Lifting his friend's head up, he saw that his blue eyes were glassy and vacant, devoid of their usual mischievous twinkle. Panic welled up in his heart, and tears stung his eyes.

_This is my fault this whole war is my fault they're all dead beCAUSE OF ME-_

Panic quickly turned to anger, and he looked up at Zant with murderous eyes.

"Would you hear my desire? To end your life and Hyrule's future as we know it?" Zant asked, a sadistic smile playing at his lips. "Your pathetic friend here was simply in my way. Surely _you_ understand that sacrifices must be made in order to achieve success."

"He was not pathetic," Link growled, standing up slowly. His knuckles were white around the hilt of his sword.

"Hm?"

"Roy was not pathetic!"

The past tense killed him. He wanted to scream, to cry, to throw up, to quit.

"Of course he was! They're all pathetic, Link, don't you see? There's only a handful of us, those chosen by the gods for something more! Those blessed with true power should rule over all, don't you think?" Zant hissed, brandishing his wicked blade.

"I think you're a murderous psychopath, and I'm going to kill you," Link said calmly, though a quiet rage trembled in the back of his voice.

Zant's grin widened into a full smile, displaying rather sharp canines. "No, Link. You killed me last time. I think it's only fair that I return the favor!"

With that, Zant lashed out, and Link found himself locking swords with the second evil mastermind that day.

In the background, screams both human and nonhuman mingled with clashing steel. The dragon roared. The lady sorceress continued to advance.

_We're screwed, _Link thought. _So godsdamn screwed._

* * *

><p>(The Triforce Realm)<p>

Link was overwhelmed.

He kept getting confused; sometimes he was in Hyrule Field, fighting Zant, sometimes he was in the Triforce Realm fighting Ganondorf.

Keeping control of his_ dimidium _was becoming difficult, and he was reverting back to the phase in which his _dimidiim _simply copied whatever he did.

Roy was dead, and yet he couldn't stop what he was doing because his own life was on the line.

But what was the point anymore? He was a flop of a hero, and he was certain his incompetence was going to lead to Hyrule's demise. It was all because of him that everything was going to hell, so didn't he deserve to die?

_No! Keep fighting, Roy would want you to! Hyrule needs you Link, you can **not **give up! _Fi cried.

Link found himself looking back over at his friends. He couldn't die in front of them. What would happen to them if he did? They were counting on him. Hyrule was counting on him.

Aryll shot him a smile. Sheik and Saria did the same. Soon all of them were smiling at him, and even Midna looked like she was struggling to smile. Their silent cheer boosted his morale, and he grit his teeth as he fought back against Ganondorf's onslaught of attacks.

Looking back one more time, Link saw Zelda mouth '_I believe in you.__'_

Something stirred in his chest. Still caught between love and hatred, her message stuck with him. She believed in him even though he killed the fake her. Even though he had hated her for months.

They all believed in him even though they were chained and helpless.

Anger surging though his veins, Link fought to the offensive, pushing Ganondorf back with renewed vigor.

"Still have fight in you?" the Dark King grunted.

"Always," Link managed, slashing at his unprotected side.

His blow was successful, and the King hissed in pain.

"I hate to break it to you, boy, but I can't have you winning," Ganondorf rasped, clutching his side.

Link opened his mouth, snarky reply at the ready, but was cut off as Ganondorf shot a blast of magic at him, hitting him straight on. Link was thrown back, groaning as the electrifying pain crackled across his body.

He regained his balance, ready to resume their fight.

And that's when the blade went through his side.

He didn't know how to react, so he simply looked up at Ganondorf, eyes as wide as he'd seen Roy's only minutes before.

Ganondorf yanked his blade back with a satisfied smirk. "Hmph. You put up a fight, kid, but in the end you're still just a kid. It was only a matter of time."

Link sank to his knees, hands over his wound. When he drew them back, they were covered with blood.

_Oh, gods, _he thought. _Oh gods._

He was aware of every beat of his heart. He could hear the pounding drown out all other noise.

_Link, you need to hold on, _Fi said calmly. _It's not a gut wound, you just need to slow the bleeding-_

But that's when Ganondorf removed his silence spell.

The screams and cries of his friends came crashing down on him. It was awful, hearing them shriek his name. He couldn't bear to look over at them, so he simply looked down.

He had failed.

He had failed, and it was all over.


	50. Chapter 49

**Okay, this is it. This is the final chapter before the epilogue. Everything has come down to this moment. Holy shit. There's going to be a lot of jumping around in this chapter, as in a lot of POV changes. I hope you guys can follow it! Thanks for being patient with me, there was a lot going in to this chapter and I wanted to get it just right for you all.**

**Thanks so, so, _so_ much to Guest 1, Guest 2, IJustWannaSeeTheStars, Guest 3, Guest 4, MusicFreak2k14, Wildgirl404, KCNederland, Lilac Gemini, Total Romance Fan, KaijuKnight, Guest 5, Clairae, Zeltra, RupeeGal15, Guest 6, Guest 7, Guest 8, Shadowpelt2, RandomButLoved, Pipin-Flik, Darkblaze40, Kelly, Laila, ThePredicate, LauParisi, Guest 9, Yukabacera, Guest 10, Pandora151, Skydragon74193, Pixelsaber, ShadowNinja1011, Zelda maniac 23, and The Mysterious Dude for reviewing. Seriously, thank you all. I would have never finished without you.**

**No more dilly-dallying. Let's do this.**

**~Leila**

**[WE LAST LEFT OUR HEROES FIGHTING THE WAR IN HYRULE FIELD AND IN THE TRIFORCE REALM. LINK HAS JUST BEEN STABBED.]**

* * *

><p><strong>O, Death<br>Won't you spare me over til another year.  
>Well what is this that I can't see?<br>With ice cold hands takin' hold of me.  
>Well I am death, none can excel<br>I'll open the door to heaven or hell.  
>Whoa, death someone would pray<br>Could you wait to call me another day?  
>The children prayed, the preacher preached<br>Time and mercy is out of your reach.**

**/ _O Death_ by Moran Lee Boggs /**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>(Hyrule Field)<strong>  
><strong>(Ashei)<strong>

"Watch out!"

Ashei heard the warning just in time, barely jumping out of the way as a blast of dark energy sailed past.

Breathing heavily, she turned to see the mysterious female sorceress pass just a foot away from her, gliding through the sea of bodies like the Queen of Death. Not even sparing Ashei a glance, it was clear she wasn't interested in any of the ordinary soldiers; she seemed to only have one target in mind: the King.

Ashei was pretty sure Matthew knew she was coming for him, and she was also confident that he could handle himself against her. The only thing that could stop him was if the ugly ass dragon were to step on_ all _of them.

The ground trembled every time it took a step, and her ears still rang from its mighty roars.

'Manslayer,' the older men were calling it. Apparently no man could do anything to kill it.

Sizing it up, Ashei didn't think it looked all that unbeatable. Sure, its teeth were huge and massive black scales covered every inch of its body, but its toes were what caught her attention.

They looked like giant white sausages, and they were all that was keeping the beast balanced.

Surely someone else had noticed this as well, but everyone who approached the dragon was either eaten or crushed.

Ashei slashed at an oncoming herd of the strange pig monsters, leaving them dead in a pile at her feet.

She wanted to do something. She wanted to help. But what we she do differently than the dozens before her had done? Walking within a hundred foot radius of the thing was suicide. How could _she _possibly help?

Though, she wasn't sure anyone could help.

Hyrule's situation was beginning to become hopeless. There were hundreds of opposing soldier, thousands of hideous monsters, two twisted magic users, and a _dragon_. It was only a matter of time before their bodies were all strewn out on the field like the daisies that used to grow there.

_But you can't die, remember? You have Shad to think about. What would he do without you?_

Her heart sank at the thought of her fiancee. She already felt guilty enough for running away to take his place on the battlefield. She couldn't bear to think of what would happen to him if she were to die.

As she stabbed a man in the heart, she could feel her engagement ring on her finger.

Gods, how she missed him.

She missed his stupid nerdy jokes, she missed his quirky little half smile, she missed how excited he would get to tell her old history stories.

Ashei still remembered the last story he'd told. They were cuddled up in front of the fire, and she had only been half listening as he prattled on excitedly over a mythical beast.

_"_Homicidia_," he'd said. "They called it 'The Imprisoned' back in the day. It was the deity Demise's imprisoned form back in the era of the Hero of the Sky. No man could ever kill it. Hundreds tried, and even the Hero himself was only able to subdue it."_

_"But if no one could kill it, how'd Demise get that way? Like, if he was such a powerful deity, how did he end up as an imprisoned dragon?" she had asked. _

_"Ah, see there is only one known person who has ever gotten close to killing the beast. Known as Sheik, this enigma was able to rip away Demise's soul and lock it away. Over time his soul manifested to become The Imprisoned."_

_"So man _can_ kill it?"_

_"Well, see, Sheik wasn't a man. Sheik was the goddess Hylia, disguised as a mortal."_

_"Hm. Figures. Never send a man to do a woman's job."_

Never send a man to do a woman's job.

She used to say that to him all the time. When he couldn't open up peanut butter jars. When he tried to chop firewood and ended up with five splinters and three stitches.

What would he say to her if he saw her now, "a woman doing a man's job," getting her hands messy on the battlefield?

Was it a man's job, though? She didn't think spilling red was gender exclusive, but apparently the "goddesses said so." She was absolutely certain that some high priest made the law up hundreds of years ago.

Why would the goddesses, female themselves, forbid women from the battlefield?

The Dark King's forces sure weren't discriminatory. As she looked about, she saw a woman rip a soldier's throat out, teeth bared as blood sprayed her face. The soldier's face was a frozen mask of shock as he crumpled to the ground.

Of course he was shocked. He had his throat torn out by a woman, and women were "weak."

Ashei had witnessed multiple cases of Hylian soldiers hesitating to fight women, and every single time, they were killed without second thought.

They were anticipating an all male army, and they knew that decades of unintentional sexism would work in their favor.

The dragon roared again, and Ashei found her attention back on the monstrous problem at hand. It continued to tromp forward, crushing everything in its path. She cringed at the screams of soldiers who met their fate beneath the feet of the creature.

_If no man can kill this, then we're really damn screwed. _

She found it odd that 'man' was always used. Not no person could kill it, but no _man_.

Suddenly, it dawned on her.

Thinking back to her Ancient Hylian classes in college, she thought she could remember that _-hom _was the root for 'man', and _-cid _was always associated with 'kill.'

So that roughly translated_ 'homicidia' _to 'man-kill.'

Man-kill.

Manslayer.

This was the very same creature Shad had told her about. The Imprisoned was before her, tearing up the battlefield.

And when they said no man could kill it, they really meant no _man_.

"Gods," she whispered, eyes growing wide.

She needed to find Tetris, Tetra, whatever.

They were the only ones who could stop the monstrosity from tearing the whole land apart.

Never send a man to do a woman's job.

* * *

><p><strong>(Hyrule Field)<strong>  
><strong>(King Matthew)<strong>

He stabbed a bokoblin- _no Link couldn't die, he tried to yell out- _yanked his blade back and elbowed the armored opponent behind him- _no, no, this wasn't supposed to happen this couldn't happen_- and grunted as he was kicked in the stomach.

Matthew felt like his head was about to explode. Both of his halves were completely overwhelmed, and he was starting to get confused. Hyrule Field was blending with the Triforce Realm, his thoughts were becoming a jumbled mess, and he was starting to lose control of both bodies.

It was a scary feeling, having no control. It only happened briefly, but it was enough to scare him shitless.

What if he got lost in translation, like the Hero of the Four Sword Impa told about all those weeks ago?

Not to mention, a war was raging all around him. Hundreds of his people were dying. There was a _sorceress _making her way towards him, thinking he didn't see her, and, the cherry on top, there was a piece of shit _dragon _stomping its paws everywhere.

He didn't know if dragons even _had _paws, and at this point he didn't really care.

Everything that could have possible gone wrong did go wrong.

The ranks broke, so it was just a massive sea of murder. Nothing they did seemed to even stall the dragon. Link, who Matthew was hoping would be their Queen on this chessboard, was stabbed on one end and occupied with a sorcerer on the other.

They were losing, and losing badly.

All he wanted to do was scream and kill everybody, was that too much to ask for?

Stabbing out, he impaled two bokoblins on the end of his blade, which made him feel slightly better. But if he looked out of the corner of his eye, he could see the dragon and the approaching mage, and he felt like shit all over again.

He didn't want to die. He felt obligated to stay alive, for his mom and for his dad and for his sister Syrella. They all died for this. Zelda was kidnapped for this. He couldn't die. It was out of the question.

"My, my, you sure are a determined one."

Whirling around, he saw the female mage. His heart dropped in his chest a little.

_Wasn't she farther away?_

She began circling him, smirking at him as she did so. He noticed how long her skirt was and was surprised she hadn't tripped over it. He also noticed how low-cut her top was and the way her breasts practically spilled over the top.

Swallowing hard, he regained his grip on his sword.

"Eager to fight, I see," she said with a chuckle. "Why, you don't even know my name! A little rude, don't you think?"

"Quite frankly, ma'am, I don't care," Matthew said through gritted teeth.

He didn't know how to fight a magic user. They didn't cover this shit in training!

"Mm, and feisty! Gives a girl the shivers when you talk like that," she cackled, smiling evilly at him.

Matthew swung out experimentally. Like lightning, the sorceress jumped back and fired a ball of purple energy. He easily deflected it with his sword.

"Well, if you're so eager to die, I suppose we can start now," she snarled.

On second thought, maybe he did want to know her name.

Her fingertips crackled with dark magic, and Matthew subconsciously tightened his grip on his sword.

Another burst of magic was fired his way, followed immediately by another. Matthew managed to dodge these as well. The mage's lips curled into an amused snarl.

She dashed towards him, hands at the ready. He threw up his shield, pushing her back and swung out with his sword. His blade came in contact with her arm, noting as a black substance oozed from the wound. Then, slowly, the cut seemed to sew itself back up.

"What the hell are you?" he demanded.

Her face twisted in fury, and she hurled several more balls of magic at him. He hit them all away, even managing to hit her with one of them. He took her moment of confusion to strike again, managing to almost sever her top half from her bottom.

She toppled to the ground, and he stood over her, happy to have ended this adversary as quick as he did.

However, he could only look on in horror as the would-be-fatal damage began repairing itself, reconnecting her damaged flesh and erasing any signs that he had just quite nearly cut her in half.

"My, my, it seems that you really know your stuff, kid," she said, breathing hard as she pulled herself to her feet. "Let's see how you handle _this_!"

Her body began to ripple and elongate.

"What the actual fu-" Matthew mumbled, watching as the mage underwent a complete transformation.

Her body grew rounder, and extra limbs sprouted from her sides. Finally, all movement ceased and he could see what she had become.

A spider.

"I am Veran, Sorceress of Shadows," she hissed. "And you're about to die."

* * *

><p><strong>(Hyrule Field)<br>(Ashei)**

"Tetra!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "TETRA!"

Ashei shoved her way through the ocean of warring bodies, using her sword as means to fight her way through.

She hadn't seen the young girl, and apparently no one had seen her for a while either. A sinking feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach, but she shook it off, refusing to believe the worst had happened to her.

Though she wasn't ignoring the likely possibility. The girl was seventeen. So while she did spend most of the time looking up at the faces of the fighting soldiers, she also made sure to glance down and search the faces of the fallen.

"Tetra!" she called again.

Faces looked in her direction, confused by either her high voice (she found no point in disguising it any longer) or about who 'Tetra' might be.

She paused her running, taking a momentary breather and surveying the battlefield.

The monstrous Manslayer continued to slay man. The female mage had reached the King, and they were engaged in a duel. Many soldiers attempted to run forward and assist the King, but they were easily taken down by her attacks.

Also, the mage had turned into a spider for some reason, which confused her.

The male mage seemed to be enjoying himself as he challenged whom she liked to call the "Sketchy Soldier," aka Link, who had stormed into the King's tent not too long ago.

Overall, things still looked bad.

It scared her. Not too long ago- or maybe it had been a while ago, she'd lost track of time- they had been doing fine. Doing great. Then, in a matter of minutes, everything turned against them and they were being slaughtered.

"Tetra! Tetra! Come on..."

She didn't want to take the creature on alone. She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. What if her theory was wrong?

_And if you're wrong, you wanna make sure you don't die alone, so you're taking a kid down with you. Isn't that right, Ashei? Is that what you've come to?_

She ignored that voice in her head, telling herself it wasn't true. She needed Tetra because Tetra also had a vagina. That was it.

"TETRA!" Ashei screamed one last time, beginning to realize her chances of finding the other girl were slim to none.

She stood still for a moment, focusing on nothing but the dragon.

She watched as men attempted to take it down, and watched as every single one of them were killed. Some were killed in logical ways, such as getting stepped on or eaten, but others were dying in almost impossible ways.

She watched as a man's sword ricocheted off of the creature's scales and conveniently stabbed him through the chink in his armor. She watched as a man attempted to cut off the creature's toes, like she planned on doing, and saw an arrow pierce his heart before he could do so. The other army's archers had been picked off in the beginning.

Those things couldn't just happen unless no one could kill it, right?

But not no _one. _No _man._

She felt a sudden surge of idiotic bravery and began to shove her way through the warring masses towards the beast.

_I'm not gonna die, I'm too good for that. I'm going to kick ass, save the day, then go home to my fiancee. And if I do go down, I'll be taking that ugly son of a bitch down with me._

"Captain? Captain!"

Her heroic inner monologue was cut short by a young, female voice.

"Tetra?" she called, spinning in a circle.

"Watch out!" the voice cried.

Ashei barely had time to jump out of the way as one of the hideous lizard creatures swung its blade at her, nearly succeeding in taking off her left arm. Adrenaline kicked in, and she whirled around and plunged the blade straight into its chest.

"Sleeping on the job?" Tetra asked as she jogged over, a tired smile on her face.

"Lost in thought," she replied, eyes flicking over to the ever-approaching Manslayer. "Tetra, can I ask you to do something?"

"You're the captain, of course-"

"This is a little different," Ashei cut in. "It's a borderline suicide mission, and only you and I can do it."

"Shad- um, sorry, _Ashei_, what are you saying?" the younger girl asked.

"I, dammit, it's hard to explain..." she trailed off, looking back at the dragon.

Gods, why did she have to be so young? Why did the only other girl stupid enough to fake being a boy have to be just seventeen years old?

"We need to kill the dragon."

Tetra's eyes widened. "Um, well, plenty of other people have tried, and..."

Right on time, the Manslayer let out a roar before scooping up a mouthful of soldiers and swallowing them whole. Ashei cringed a little.

_That could be me in a little bit. It could be **Tetra** if she goes through with this._

"I just- I... I have a plan, Tetra, and you're the only one I trust to help me carry it out," Ashei said quietly, voice nearly washed out by the raging sounds of war.

Tetra was silent for a moment, moving only to turn around and stab an approaching bokoblin.

Ashei suddenly felt sick to her stomach, ashamed that she had even brought it up. She couldn't just ask a child to risk that much for her country. What kind of a horrible person was she?

"What are you thinking?"

Tetra's reply startled her. Was she really considering...?

"Tetra, I won't make you do anything you're not comfortable with, this is a long shot-"

"Captain," Tetra silenced her, strong determination burning in her eyes. "I got myself into this. And it's my duty as a soldier to do what's best for Hyrule."

Ashei stared at her for a moment.

This girl was an idiot. A crazy, stupid, idiot willing to throw her potentially throw her life away simply because she was asking.

But this also made her admirable. It made her courageous, selfless, and one hell of a kid.

Tetra was crazy, but then again she was one to talk.

"Alright, so this is what I'm thinking..."

* * *

><p><strong>(Link)<strong>

He wasn't quite sure what was going on.

Pictures were blurred in his mind, his thoughts jumbled into one confusing stream of nonsense. He was unable to tell where he was. Hyrule Field, the Triforce Realm? He didn't know.

He was vaguely aware of people calling his name, but he couldn't bring himself to respond. Fi's voice was the loudest, but all he heard was musical gibberish.

Fear pierced through his hazy emotionlessness. What if he got Separated? What if he just lost control of his mind and never got it back?

_You just got stabbed. You got stabbed, and now you're losing you're gonna lose gonna fail just like you fail at everything else why did the goddesses pick you-_

No. He wouldn't let that happen, would he?

**_You're stronger than that._**

Fi's voice cut clearly through his mind.

Was he though? Everything was slipping; he could feel himself sliding out of his own mind.

Maybe this was what dying felt like.

_Am I dying?_

He didn't know. He didn't know anything at this point.

_Would death be so bad? _

His mom would be there. His dad would be there.

He was aware that he was holding on to something. What that something was, he didn't know, but he knew that whatever it was was keeping him anchored.

**_You're not dying, Link, you're being Separated. Hold on, please hold on or... lost... forever..._**

Fi's voice was getting softer and softer. His hold was slipping.

Another wave of fear crashed into him.

Lost forever?

He would just melt away, blink out, cease to exist. He wouldn't even get to die.

Utilizing whatever consciousness he had left, he tried to focus on the voices he heard, the calls of his friends. All he could hear were distant mumbles. They got quieter by the second.

_Might as well accept it, bud. You lost. You're gone. _

_Game over._

And for a second, he believed that. For a second, he was ready to let go and accept the fate he thought he deserved.

But that was just a second.

And that's when he heard the scream.

_"BIG BROTHER!"_

It was Aryll. Not the goddess Hylia. Aryll, his baby sister, his life, his world. And she was screaming for him.

His body was flooded with adrenaline, and suddenly he was flying back.

Sounds got louder, pictures got clearer.

He could feel his mind connecting to his body, fibers reattaching and emotions and feelings rushing through his body.

The first place he saw when he awoke was Hyrule Field, torn and bloody.

He was gasping for breath, looking around wildly. A ring of Bokoblins surrounded him, snarling and baring their fangs.

Zant stood in this ring as well, watching him with detached amusement.

"Oh, you're alive. Pity. I was hoping Ganondorf had killed you by now."

Link blinked at Zant, picking himself up.

He was alive.

He was alive and breathing and standing and ready to kick some ass.

But something wasn't quite right.

"Why didn't you just kill me while I was down?" he asked, picking up the Master Sword and regaining his grip.

Zant was silent for a moment. "I've killed enough of you damn Carstairs to last me a lifetime," he finally said. "I killed your parents, I don't need to kill you.

Ignoring the jibe abound his parents, Link found himself breaking into a grin. "You can't kill me."

"Of course I can, you little-"

"You're not _allowed_ to kill me!"

Silence.

An emotion that could only be described as absolute glee bubbled up in Link's chest. So Zant was fighting the defensive, saving the final blow for Ganondorf. He could only beat Link around, while Link himself could go in for the kill.

Swinging his blade with renewed purpose, Link strode towards Zant.

_Good to have you back, kid_, Fi's voice rang in his head. _Now let's kick this son of a bitch into the next lifetime._

* * *

><p><strong>(Triforce Realm)<strong>  
><strong>(Zelda)<strong>

The curse that kept them silent was lifted, and all hell broke loose.

"LINK! _LINK!_" she screamed, watching as her best friend, her hope, her hero fall to the ground.

Everyone else in their little entourage was reacting similarly. Saria had fallen to her knees, breathing rapidly. Lulu and Darunia looked as though they'd been punched. Teagan was crying, the King had his face in his hands, Rauru was wide-eyed in shock.

Sheik and Aryll were giving their guards the most trouble. They kicked and screamed and cried, yanking helplessly at the chains that bound them.

Something small inside her broke, and suddenly she was crying too, sobbing as tears flooded down her cheeks.

That was it.

Right as she'd begun to hope again, right as the spark in her cold heart had been reignited, the blade had gone through his side.

She felt torn in half, she felt empty, she felt _doomed_.

"Link," she whispered, looking at her fallen friend, watching as shallow breaths rattled his chest.

A blue woman had appeared and was speaking to him quietly.

Zelda felt a pang of- was that jealousy? _She_ should be the one comforting him. She was the Princess, dammit, she should have been out there helping him!

Knotting her hands in her dress, she bit back another scream and tried to hold back the tears with little success. Ganondorf smirked down at her as he wiped his blade clean.

"I hope none of you had your hopes up," he sneered. "This- this _child _didn't have a chance of overcoming me! What does Courage have over raw Power?"

"Go to hell!" Sheik snarled, his voice thick.

"I hate you!" Aryll screamed. It was unmistakably Aryll; there was no trace of the serene goddess in her hate-filled eyes. "I hate you so much! LINK! Link can you hear me?!"

"Shut up, all of you!" Ganondorf roared, eyes blazing with fury. "It's time for me to finally complete what my predecessors never could! Tonight, I unite the Triforce!"

His words were met with silence.

Visibly miffed that no one graced him with a response, Ganondorf walked past them to look at the waterfall in the distance.

"All those years of planning, they've all come to this. Surreal, don't you think? I'm about to become the most powerful being this land has ever seen. My ancestors would be proud."

He turned to face them again, a wicked smile on his face.

"Now, shall we begin?"

Zelda's heart began to race, the sense of darkness and doom doubling.

_You failed you failed youfailedyoufailedyoufaILED-_

The Lizalfos pushed King Matthew forward. Ganondorf grinned at him, then gestured to Midna. Zelda watched as her former best friend handed her former father a small, blue object before strutting back to her previous spot.

_What's happened to us, huh? How'd we all get here?_

Ganondorf pressed the blue thing in the King's hands. She noticed how pale the King- _her brother?_- was. She noticed how he shook.

"You know what to do," Ganondorf said, nodding at Matthew.

The King shook his head, tears beginning to run down his face. Ganondorf's fist connected with his jaw, causing him to stumble back. Teagan screamed, Rauru called out.

"I will separate your bottom half from your top if that's what it takes," the Dark King hissed.

With shaking hands, Matthew brought the blue object- an instrument, Zelda realized- to his lips. After a couple of deep breaths, he began to play, the notes weak and breathy.

The tune was hauntingly familiar, but Zelda didn't have time to ponder that.

As the King played, Ganondorf began to mumble, his words low and incomprehensible.

A light lit from within the waterfall, growing brighter as the song continued. Ganondorf's voice grew louder and faster. Thunder rumbled across the sky. Rauru began to pray again. Lulu began to cry.

Finally, the song ended, and so did Ganondorf's chanting. The light in the waterfall became too bright to look at, and Zelda was forced to look away. When the light dimmed, the waterfall had vanished like it hadn't been there in the first place.

In its place was a massive white stone door, stretching so high that the top disappeared somewhere in the sky. A round indent- _a keyhole_- was in the center of the monstrosity.

Ganondorf looked positively giddy. Matthew looked as if he were about to faint.

"Wonderful!" the Dark King declared, shoving Matthew back towards the others. "Now, Sages step forward and aid me in assembling the key!"

"I'm not helping you do anything!" Rauru spat, eyes burning with fury. "I'd rather die!"

Zelda closed her eyes.

_Gonna regret it, shouldn't've said it gonna regret it, shouldn't've said it!_

"And what makes you think I need you alive?" Ganondorf asked softly, walking over to look the old man directly in the eye.

Rauru held his position like the demented brave soldier he was, arms crossed and chest puffed out.

Ganondorf snapped his neck so fast, Zelda almost didn't have time to scream.

The King of Evil looked down at the Sage in disdain before leaning down to fish a golden medallion out of his robes.

"See, this is what happens when you try to be brave," he said, pulling an similar-looking orange piece from his own pocket. "Look at Link, look at the old man. Is courage really worth it?"

He was only met with the sounds of muffled sobbing.

Even Darunia was crying now. Somehow, that terrified Zelda the most. Watching this normally strong, optimistic man break down and cry, well...

_He knows he's dying. Don't you?_

"Unlock your necklaces," Ganondorf commanded.

It was tragically beautiful, watching as each Sage pulled out their medallions. They began to murmur a chant, voices hollow and monotone. The necklaces began to glow, slowly drifting towards the door.

Red, orange, gold, green, blue, purple. A rainbow of colors.

The six circles of light merged together to create one ball in the center of the doorway, before dimming to reveal one large circle divided into even sixths of each color. The key clicked into its place.

_Why is it happening so fast? Isn't there supposed to be dramatic monologuing? Why is it happening so fast?! Isn't the hero supposed to have come by now?_

The hero...

Her eyes were drawn back to Link, and she felt a strong emotion well up in her chest.

The door began to rumble open slowly. Ganondorf could hardly contain his glee. He'd grabbed ahold of Ar-Hylia now, forcing her to look upon his success. Upon her failure.

They were all going to die.

"No one is going to miss me," Zelda whispered, hands going to her face as her breathing grew faster.

It was selfish. But she was seventeen. Wasn't she supposed to be selfish?

She had no mother, no siblings- well, siblings she remembered. Her father might as well be dead. Her best friend was psychotic, her other friends were dying next to her. And Link...

Who was going to miss him?

_I will._

"Let me go to him!" Zelda found herself screaming.

Ganondorf turned around to face her. "Excuse me?"

"Let me go to Link," she repeated, curling her shaking hands into fists.

"And why would I do that, dearest?" he sneered, tightening his grip on Aryll. "Are you really in the position to be giving out commands?"

"Don't you think you owe me?" Zelda yelled, voice cracking, "Don't you owe me for lying to me for my whole life, Papa? Can't I do one last thing before _you kill me_?"

There was more silence as everyone looked at the Dark King expectantly. His eyes were locked on Zelda's, gold on blue. Neither looked away, neither blinked. When she looked into his eyes, she saw anger. She saw confusion. She saw _weakness._

When he looked at her, all he saw was broken glass and cracking ice.

"Fine," he growled, snapping his fingers.

The barrier separating her from Link vanished, as did her chains.

_Try to fight, try to win! You could do it..._

_...Why would I?_

Zelda rushed forward, practically pushing away the blue lady as she knelt down at Link's side. Taking his head in her lap, she brushed away some of his blonde hair that had been pasted to his sweaty forehead.

She was painfully aware of his unfocused eyes and ragged breathing.

"Hey," she whispered. "Long time no see."

There was a pause.

"I remember the last time I was holding you unconscious," she told him. "Only last time you had were nearly drowned and had hypothermia. Remember that? How long ago was that?"

His breathing was slowing, his skin growing colder beneath her touch.

Behind her, Ganondorf was leading Aryll towards the open door. There was a golden gate now, the last barrier between a madman and the Sacred Realm.

The last checkpoint before her death.

_You knew he would save you for last, didn't you?_

Ganondorf threw Aryll to the ground and began his final incantation. Dark magic swirled around the young girl, and her screams echoed throughout the realm.

Thunder rolled, lightening cracked.

A tear rolled down Zelda's nose and onto Link's face.

_See you on the other side, I guess._

"BIG BROTHER!" Aryll screamed, face twisted in pain as she reached for Link.

Zelda began to cry.

Crying turned to sobbing, and sobbing turned to hysteria.

_I really thought you were going to save me. I don't want to die. I DON'T WANT TO DIE!_

"You're not going to die," a voice croaked.

She blinked through her tears, trying to calm her breathing.

_It can't be..._

She looked down at her lap and saw Link looking up at her, his eyes bright with determination.

"Link, I-"

"Not now, not now," he hissed, looking around madly.

_Searching for Aryll..._

_...He's not looking you in the eye..._

_...What have you done now?_

"Drink this," the blue woman instructed, speaking for the first time in a while. She brushed Zelda aside and handed Link a bottle of red liquid she'd dug from his pouch. "You need to end this now. You need to save your sister."

Link nodded, downing the bottle's contents before getting to his feet. The bleeding came to a stop almost immediately. She could still see the wound, though, angry and red peeking from the slash in his tunic.

Without another word, Link began walking towards the distracted Ganondorf.

Once again, Zelda was left at the sidelines.

He didn't even look at her.

* * *

><p><strong>(Hyrule Field)<br>(King Matthew)**

"The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout..."

He jumped out of the way of a slide leg, barely avoiding getting stabbed.

"Down came the rain and _washed _the spider out!"

Rolling to the side, he slashed at the appendage, eliciting a hiss from Veran. She retaliated by spewing yet another spurt of poison. Matthew yelled as a drop caught his leg, eating through the skin.

Veran giggled, positively giddy with herself.

Shaking off the pain, he cursed the fact that he no longer had a shield. His only piece of defensive equipment had been destroyed by the acid quite some time ago.

_"You know what to do," the Dark King said, nodding at him._

"Out came the sun and dried up all the rain!"

He jumped back as Veran struck at him, attempting a swing at one of the seven legs she had left.

_He brought the ocarina to his lips, barely able to play with shaking hands._

"And the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout again!"

He swung again, this time coming in contact with one of her many legs.

Veran let out a roar and lunged forward, attempting to crush him between the her two massive pinchers. He ducked at the last minute, driving his sword up and into the soft skin of her neck.

She let out a shriek, stumbling back, leaving a trail of black blood as she did so.

"I'm going to kill you, boy," she hissed. "And I am going to feast on your flesh!"

_A tear spilled down his cheek as he played his mother's song, remembering how he used to lay his head in her lap as she played. He wondered if she could see him now, playing her song for a madman-_

He was getting tired. This whole fight was repetitive; Veran repeated the same attacks, and he continued to dodge them.

He needed to be there to command his men, he needed to get back to the actual war...

"You know, I've never heard of someone who became King at as young as you did," Veran said as she lunged forward, fangs bared.

Matthew jumped to the side and ducked down, rolling forward to catch her leg again. She was ready for the attack and merely sidestepped his strike. The King had no time to dodge as her leg came back down and pierced the flesh of his arm.

Curses flew out of his mouth as he regained his footing, trying to ignore the waterfall of red that poured from the wound.

_When he finished the song, he was tossed aside like a piece of trash. He'd served his purpose. And now he got to sit back and watch the world burn down around him. _

"Someone so young shouldn't have that kind of responsibility placed on their shoulders," the sorceress continued. "And look what you've done to the country. You've damned it straight to hell!"

He knew she was trying to bait him, but it didn't stop the guilt from worming its way into his heart.

Another spray of acid. This time, he managed to avoid the acidic stream. Veran struck at him with one of her legs, and he brought his sword up to meet it. It hit in just the right place, and she screeched as her leg was severed in half.

Matthew rushed forward, attempting to take advantage of her pain to land a blow on her soft stomach. However, one of Veran's remaining legs swung out and swept him off his feet.

"You're just a child!" she bellowed. "You're no more fit to fight me than you are to run a kingdom! All you're doing is prolonging your death, boy!"

"Well I'm not the one who just lost a leg," Matthew pointed out, scrambling out of the way as Veran snapped her pinchers at his feet.

She responded with a hiss, beady eyes flashing with malice.

And his heart sank into his stomach as he watched her form begin to morph once again.

"Dinssake," he muttered, getting to his feet and waiting until she finished her grotesque transformation.

Her remaining legs retracted into her body, and two structures began to sprout from her back. Wings, he realized. Her back half turned ovular and pointed at the end, and two antennae sprung out from her head.

In front of him was no longer a spider, but a wasp.

Suddenly, Matthew felt very tired. The pain in his arm seemed to double, and every muscle in his body began to ache.

"Better watch out, brave little king," Veran buzzed, wings taking her into the air. "You don't want to get stung!"

Matthew didn't even have time to make fun of her horrible pun before the Bee Sorceress dove at him, laughing menacingly. He dropped to the ground with a yelp, narrowly avoiding getting crushed by her massive pinchers.

Her smooth underside brushed his skin as she passed, and he cringed.

"Having fun, little King?" Veran cackled.

He said nothing as he pulled himself to his feet.

He was exhausted. Every muscle throbbed with fatigue, and his head pounded with the headache of the century. He had just aided a madman in his scheme to take over Hyrule, and he was fighting a madwoman who had turned into a spider, then a bee.

Veran dove towards him again, this time with her stinger at the ready. Eyes wide, Matthew almost jumped to the side, but instead planted his ground and raised his sword.

As she flew past, he sliced off her stinger with one, clean swipe.

"Brat!" she hissed, glaring at him menacingly. "I guess I'll just have to eat you then, huh?"

She snapped her massive pinchers at him, flying at him once again. He ducked again, closing his eyes as her underbelly brushed against him. It was quite soft, he realized. And very unprotected.

Matthew grinned at the realization and pulled himself to his feet once more.

"Why are you smiling, my boy?" Veran called. "Accepting your inevitable death?"

"Oh shut up," he mumbled, twirling his sword in his hand.

Her beady eyes narrowed, and she began to fly at him once again, pinchers at the ready. Matthew prepared to duck, this time with his sword at the ready, but she dipped lower this time, leaving him hardly no time to react.

He found his arm caught between the pinchers, and a pain shot up his arm. The king managed to wriggle out of her grasp, but his sword remained in her tight grip.

"Oh my, what are you going to do now?" she asked, tossing his sword off into the distant battlefield.

He had almost forgotten the war around him. There were men he needed to command. How were they doing? Were they all dead?

"You're nothing without a weapon, little King," she hissed. "It's over for you."

Heart thudding in his chest, Matthew backed away as she began to fly at him for what was probably the last time. He tripped over the corpse of a Bokoblin as he retreated, and she began to fly.

_This is it._

_This is how it ends._

_You failed your land. You failed your people._

_Your family would be ASHAMED OF YOU._

Matthew's hand met the wooden hilt of the dead creature's spear. Veran was closing in, laughing as she did. And at the last second, as he saw his life flash before his eyes- _his sisters and locked away in the damned castle and seeing Zelda and Impa and Teagan and being locked up and playing that song ONE LAST TIME- _he grabbed the spear and thrust upward, gutting Veran's soft belly as she flew over him.

She shrieked as she crashed to the ground, twitching and spasming. She flashed between forms, a spider, then a wasp, then a beetle, then a wasp, then finally a human again, kneeling on the ground and coughing up blood black as the night.

He dragged himself up, still clutching the spear.

Her eye widened as he approached, any traces of her former self gone and replaced with fear.

"No," she rasped. "No, not again-"

He never let her finish.

He punched her in the face, sending her falling flat on her back. Raising the spear over his head, he looked down at her with cold eyes before plunging the weapon straight into her heart. The spear stuck in her chest, shaft pointing up at the sky.

Stumbling back, Matthew gasped ragged breaths and looked around him.

War was raging. People were dying.

_Your fault._

Ignoring the pain in his arm and the throbbing in his head, Matthew grabbed yet another Bokoblin spear and trudged towards the main fighting.

_Your fault._

* * *

><p><strong>Hyrule Field<br>(Ashei)**

"Are my instructions clear?" Ashei shouted, surveying the sizable group of men she'd been able to rally.

She was satisfied upon hearing a loud chorus of assent.

"Good. I will not lie to you, this will be dangerous. Some of us may die. But if we do not kill this creature, many others will die. And I think that's reason enough to do anything we can to take that son-of-a bitch down."

Another uproar of cheers.

She'd learned that for whatever reason, men really liked to yell to express agreement or excitement.

"Above all, I need you remember that only Tetris or I may kill this beast. Things won't end well for anyone else who tries."

On cue, a man was swallowed by the slowly approaching dragon. His screams seemed to overshadow the other noises of the battlefield.

"I believe in you all," Ashei said, voice growing softer. "And I know we can do this."

"For Hyrule!" Tetra screamed, raising her sword in the air.

The other soldiers followed suit. "FOR HYRULE!"

Ashei's lips curved into a smile. "Now let's go kick some ass."

Immediately, men began running off in different directions. Tetra stood by her side, watching them get into their assigned positions.

"You really think this'll work?" she asked, looking up at Ashei.

Her blue eyes quivered with fear, and Ashei was briefly reminded that she was sending real people, real mortal people into real actual danger.

"Yeah," she said finally. "I do."

Their plan was simple enough. The enemy's catapults were being manned by Bokoblins, which were dangerous in large groups but otherwise quite stupid. Hylian soldiers would capture the catapults and begin bombarding the dragon with various projectiles. While the beast was distracted with the catapults, Ashei and Tetra would go in close to cut off the toes. And then, when the dragon came tumbling back down to earth, they'd finish it off.

All they had to do now was wait for the signal alerting them that the catapults had been taken.

Ashei found her mind wandering to what would happen after they killed the dragon. She would be regarded as a hero, of course, and she'd receive a medal of honor alongside Tetra. They'd reveal their genders and bring equality into the military.

There'd be rainbow confetti in the streets, and a little girl would come up and hand her a small bouquet of flowers. Shad would be there, of course, and she'd probably cry when they were reunited.

The vision was so clear, it was almost like she was there, drenched in the multi-color confetti.

"Ashei!"

The image of Shad's face melted back into the red-stained gray of the battlefield at the sound of Tetra's voice.

"Look," the young girl said, motioning towards the dragon.

Flaming projectiles were being launched from the enemy catapults, successfully hitting the beast. It roared in confusion, looking around wildly for the source of the assault.

In other words, it was go time.

"You ready?" Ashei asked, taking a deep breath, adjusting her grip on the hilt of her sword.

"Yeah," Tetra replied, a surprising calm in her voice. "Let's do this."

With that, they ran forward, slashing at the few creatures that blocked their path. Ashei noticed how clumsy Tetra still was with a sword. Sure, she'd made great improvements since the start, but still...

_What if you lose her?_

She shook her head. That wouldn't happen.

They were at the dragon's feet now. It was no longer moving, still distracted by the catapults. At a closer range, Ashei could see how gelatinous the toes were; it would be a piece of cake to take care of them.

"Okay Tetra," she yelled over the beast's roars. "There's four on each foot. We'll move faster if we can do two feet each. Make sure once you've cut the last toe, run as fast as you can out from underneath this thing!"

"Where's its weak spot?" Tetra shouted back, looking at the massive monster.

Shit. Ashei hadn't thought about that.

"Probably its mouth, eyes, or brain. We'll be able to tell when we can see its head," she said dismissively. "And... and if it does fall on us, stick your sword straight up. With any luck, we'll hit a vital spot."

Tetra nodded and ran off towards the front legs. Ashei took that as her cue to start taking out the hind legs.

As she jogged underneath the dragon, she could do nothing to stop the pounding of her heart. What if it fell? What if she were stepped on? What if their distraction stopped working?

"Focus," she whispered to herself. "Come on, Ashei, focus."

She slashed at the first toe she saw, and found it surprisingly resistant. After a couple more hits, it exploded, and she found herself sputtering with a face full of clear liquid.

"Gods," she moaned, not bothering to wipe herself off as she began the next toe.

As she did so, she glanced over at Tetra, who was beginning on her third toe. Everything was running smoothly.

_So far, so good._

Somehow, that did nothing to reassure her nerves.

The second toe popped. It was just as gross as the first.

The third toe went with no problem. Tetra went on to her fourth. Ashei finished her fourth and Tetra began the first on the second foot. She couldn't explain the butterflies she felt flitting in her stomach, or the sweat that ran down her forehead.

She expected a foot to come crashing down upon her or Tetra at any moment. This was nerve-wracking work, and she wanted it to be over with as soon as possible.

It was when she began on her fifth toe that things began to go against the plan.

The Manslayer apparently decided that it didn't care about being pelted with rocks and bombs and resumed its slow progress forward. Ashei shrieked as the giant foot went up and came down, sending vibrations that rattled her to her bones.

"Tetra!" she screamed, searching frantically for her companion. "TETRA!"

"Here!" she heard a distant call. "Keep going, Ashei, we have to finish this!"

With trembling hands, Ashei jogged behind the massive appendage, waiting until it was planted on the ground to land a couple strikes. Every step it took nearly caused her to be thrown off balance.

The dragon roared loudly, as if to tell them he knew they were there. Ashei hurriedly took care of the fifth toe and moved to the sixth.

_Oh gods I'm gonna die I didn't want to go like this oh gods oh goDS-_

Manslayer began to stumble, finally feeling the effects of his missing support structures. With another deafening cry, it began to hobble along a lot faster than before, and this time, red energy seemed to crackle from its every step.

Ashei heard Tetra scream, and her heart nearly stopped.

"Tetra?!" she shrieked.

"I'm fine," came the shaky reply. "Watch out for that energy, it's electric."

Right as she spoke, a wave of the magic hit Ashei square in the chest, knocking her off her feet and sending needles of pain shooting through her body.

"Noted," she called back through gritted teeth.

She didn't have time to lay on the ground and whimper about her pain; there was a task that needed to be completed. Scrambling to her feet, she ran to catch up to the dragon, this time making sure she jumped over the red electricity.

She took care of the fifth toe. Then the sixth. And the seventh. And finally, the eight.

The beast growled as it stumbled along.

Ashei looked over and saw Tetra struggling to take care of one last toe. The electricity was pulsing fast now, and there was hardly any time to land a clear shot. She ran over to the girl.

"Run out now, I'll finish this," Ashei told her.

Tetra shook her head. "No, I'm staying here."

The Manslayer let out a mighty howl and began to move faster. It knew its end was coming.

"Tetra, please, just get out of here!" Ashei cried, trying to pull Tetra away.

"I've got it, just go!"

With that, Tetra landed the final blow. As the last toe exploded, a piercing cry ripped through the air, causing them both to cringe. The dragon began to stumble and sway, sinking lower and lower to the ground.

"Run!" Ashei screamed, grabbing Tetra's arm. "Hurry!"

The ground shook and the air trembled as they desperately tried to escape the falling mass. Exit was in sight, and Ashei felt her heart swell with hope for the first time that day.

"Tetra, we're almost there, just keep going-!"

She tripped over the body of a fallen Hylian. Eyes wide, she looked up as the Manslayer began to crash to the ground.

_This is it. It's all for nothing. Prepare to-_

"Get up!" Tetra screamed, yanking her to her feet. "Come on, Captain, go!"

The back end of the dragon hit the ground. Their window was closing.

Ashei was felt two hands shoving her forward, and the dragon's impact sent her flying.

She looked up just in time to see Tetra smiling at her, sword raised to the sky.

The child's blue eyes, unnervingly calm, never left hers. They were the last thing Ashei saw before the dragon came crashing down on top of her.

A scream ripped through her throat, and she scrambled to her feet, coughing through all the dust that rose into the air. She could barely see, barely breathe, barely think...

When she finally reached it, the dragon was thrashing a little bit, but soon the light died from its eyes and it lay still. The tip of a sword could be seen poking out of the skull, around where one would think the brain would be.

_Stick your sword straight up._

"No, no, no, no, Tetra," Ashei whispered, kneeling beside the beast's head, hands curled into fists, sword forgotten on the ground by her side.

_Look what you've done now._

_She was only seventeen._

_Look what you've done now, murderess. _

All she could do was scream. Guilt and pain seemed to tear through her, consuming every bit of sanity she still clung on to.

Her earlier visions suddenly seemed horrible and vain. The confetti rained down on the streets again, but now it was black. A little girl approached her to give her a bouquet of thorns and spit at her feet, looking up at her with calm, clear blue eyes.

"Why did you push me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hyrule Field<br>(Link)**

Their blades clashed once again, locked together for only a few seconds before Zant jumped back and fired yet another blast of dark magic in his direction. The hero easily deflected the energy off of his blade, eyes never leaving his opponent's.

Zant rushed forward at blinding speed, sword at the ready. Link sidestepped and stabbed forward, catching his adversary in the back.

Unfortunately, Zant disappeared before his blade could hit home, and Link was left looking around wildly for his reappearance.

_3 o'clock._

At Fi's direction, he whirled around just in time to deflect Zant's blow.

Zant wasted no time in bombarding him with attacks, raining blow after blow on the hero's shield. Link grunted as he shoved his shield forward, hoping to push the dark mage back.

Instead, Zant took a step back and allowed Link's excessive momentum to cause him to stumble. With the hero off balance, he struck out with a kick, knocking him flat on his back.

"Stupid brat," Zant hissed, raising his blade.

Link jerked his arm out of the way, avoiding his strike, and kicked as hard as he could at Zant's knees. While his opponent stumbled and cursed, Link scrambled to his feet and stabbed forward, only to find Zant had teleported once again.

"This is getting annoying," Link muttered, turning in circles, waiting for Zant to pop up.

_Stay alert_, Fi warned. _And remember, he's only aiming to maim. You can go for the kill._

He saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye.

_6 o'clock._

Link ducked and rolled to the side. He heard the _woosh_ of a blade pass over his head.

Leaping to his feet, Link threw up his shield to deflect a magical projectile. He was almost thrown off his feet by the force of the impact. He didn't know much about magic use, but he could tell Zant's magical attacks were becoming stronger and more brutal.

_He's resorted to using raw magic. You have to be on your guard._

"I don't know what that means," Link grunted, stumbling after another burst of magic.

_The simple definition is magic in its purest form. It also takes the most energy, which you can use to your advantage. If he's __already resorted to these strong attacks, he'll wear out very soon._

Link nodded, lunging forward. Zant leapt back then swiped his sword in hopes of disarming the hero. Link grit his teeth, dislodging his sword from Zant's. With a feint to his right, Link brought up his left elbow, catching Zant in the face, and slammed the hilt of his sword into the mage's stomach.

"Oh, how I wish I could kill you!" Zant roared, rushing forward with renewed speed.

He slashed and stabbed at Link, but the hero parried every one of his strikes. Fi was right; Zant was tired, and his sword work was getting sloppy.

"All I want to do is wrap my hands around that skinny little neck of yours," Zant hissed, faking a stab. Link fell for it, and got a kick in the stomach. "I wanted to kill you when I first saw you, but _no_, Master Ganondorf wouldn't allow that!"

"Gods, why do you talk so much?" Link grunted, struggling to recover from Zant's kick.

Zant merely grinned and twirled his blade, beckoning Link with an outstretched hand.

The hero accepted the invitation, dashing forward and rolling to the side at the last second in hopes he would catch Zant's unprotected backside. However, the dark mage was ready for that and parried Link's strike easily.

Zant then took the opportunity to take the offense and began slashing at Link with a series of lightning-fast blows. Gritting his teeth, Link found it took every ounce of reflex and concentration he had to keep up.

_You're doing great, Link, _Fi encouraged. _Just hang in there, buddy._

Link didn't even have the time to respond mentally. One slip and he'd end up without an arm.

Zant grinned at him, pleased with himself. "This brings back such fond memories," he said, attempting to catch Link off-guard with an overhead swing.

The hero raised his shield, cringing at the ugly noise produced by the metal-on-metal contact.

"It seems like just yesterday I was ridding the world of Ma and Pa Carstairs. I think it's safe to call that the best day of my life," Zant continued, smiling maliciously at Link.

"What about the part where I killed you?" Link asked, pushing forward and getting in a few sword strikes of his own.

Zant's eyes narrowed. "That part wasn't nearly as fun as gutting your parents."

_He's trying to elicit an emotional response. Just roll with it, Link, please. I believe in you._

Link took a deep breath, never letting his guard fall. Zant continued to rain blow after blow on the hero's shield. Link couldn't believe the bastard had recovered from his tired spell already. If anything, he seemed more energized than he had at the beginning of their fight.

"There's nothing like the feeling of slicing skin off the bone. The sound, the feel, the screams... It's... _indescribable_," Zant hissed, eyes never leaving Link's.

"I'm sure it is," Link heard himself respond.

_Keep it cool, Carstairs, _he told himself. _Just keep it cool._

"There's a certain power you feel when taking a life. I'm sure you've felt it," Zant said, jumping around and trying to swipe at Link's side. The hero parried the strike and took a chance at landing a few blows of his own.

"You get a certain sense of superiority. I wonder if that's how the goddesses feel? They're responsible for more deaths than anyone."

Link couldn't answer. Zant was coming at him fast, and it took his all to continuing blocking.

"Your parents were my favorite kills. They just kept _begging_ and _pleading_ and _screaming_; it was all so delicious!"

He was shaking now. His hands trebled ever-so slightly, but Zant still saw.

"Did you know your mom, your precious _makuahine,_ didn't die for almost two and a half hours? How impressive is that? It's like she wanted to be tormented!" Zant cackled.

The dark mage lashed out with his sword, ramming the hilt into Link's head. Caught off balance, Link stumbled, allowing Zant to plant a square kick on his chest.

Link crashed to the ground, sword falling from his hand.

The world swam around him, and sound faded in and out. He caught short fragments of Zant's hideous laughter. He felt Zant put his foot on his throat, pressing down and causing him to gasp and choke.

"And look where we are now! Poor little Link, defeated by the man who killed his parents. You wanted revenge, didn't you? You thought you could kill me to honor your parents' memories? You're weak. Just like your parents," Zant taunted.

The sorcerer leaned down so his face was directly above Link's, replacing the foot on his neck with his hand. He began to squeeze slowly, cutting off Link's oxygen bit by bit.

"You're pathetic," he whispered.

Link could only gasp and flail, hands reaching for something, _anything _to free him from Zant's grasp.

His hands closed around the fire wand in his pack, and he tried to bring it up, tried to say the word, but it was plucked from his hand before he could try.

"What do we have here?" Zant mused, turning the wand over. "A stick? That was your big move?"

Tears were forming in the corner of his eyes now, he was out of air, out of time, out of ideas-

_He's holding it by the top._

Link's eyes widened. And then, with all the remaining oxygen he could muster, he yelled, "_IGNIS!"_

The wand burst into flames in Zant's hand. The sorcerer screeched, dropping the wand and loosening his grip on Link. Flames had consumed the whole sleeve of his robe, and he shook his arm rapidly in hopes of putting out the blaze.

It was then that Link's hand found the hilt of his sword.

And before Zant could even react, he'd grabbed the blade and plunged it straight up and into the sorcerer's chest.

Time seemed to slow down. Zant stumbled to his feet, staggering backwards, mouth forming an 'o'.

Link got to his feet as well, breathing heavily and heart pumping with adrenaline. He walked over to the dying sorcerer, pulled out his sword, and thrust it in again. Then again. And again.

Zant jerked with every stab, blood pouring from his mouth like a macabre waterfall.

Link's eyes never left his.

Again. Again. Again.

"This is for my mom."

Again.

"This is for my dad."

Again.

"This is for me. For Aryll. For every godsdamned person you ever hurt, you sick son of a bitch!"

Finally, Link ceased his rampage. With wide orange eyes still locked on his, Zant's body crumpled to the ground in an unceremonious heap.

Link stood over him, heaving out of exertion and rage, sword stained crimson.

Yet he felt nothing. No pride, no relief, no justice.

He felt cold. Empty. Tired.

With one final glare, Link turned away from the body of the man who'd haunted his nightmares for eleven years, who would probably continue to haunt him for the rest of his life, and faced the battlefield once more.

He still had other work to do.

* * *

><p><strong>The Triforce Realm<br>(Zelda)**

She stood on the sidelines, frozen with fear, hands clasped tightly together. Every grunt caused a hitch in her breathing, every strike caused her to gasp. She was too scared to watch, but couldn't tear her eyes away.

Every time Link cried out, she felt like a dagger was being driven deeper into her heart. And every time he made significant progress, it felt like the blade was being pulled out again.

It was a constant back and forth cycle, a roller coaster of emotion that her poor brain couldn't keep up with.

Link had Ganondorf on the defensive now. She watched as their blades danced, wishing she had the energy to marvel at Link's expert technique. He'd come such a long way since she'd last seen him.

Ganondorf swung his sword over his head, and Zelda's breath caught in her throat. Link met the strike and parried it away, quickly bringing his hilt forward and slamming it into Ganondorf's sternum.

The older man grunted, and Link wasted no time in stabbing forward. Ganondorf jumped back, narrowly avoiding the hero's strike.

_I can't take it. _

Zelda bit her lip and looked away hoping to ease her mind by focusing on something else.

Ganondorf had abandoned Aryll quickly after Link had regained consciousness, leaving her spasming in pain on the ground. Sheik held her now, murmuring words of comfort as they both watched one they cared about risk his life for their benefit.

Saria sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, peeking at the battle through her fingers. Teagan huddled close to Matthew, and Lulu was practically glued to Darunia's side.

She turned back to the battle. Ganondorf was advancing towards Link now, thrusting forward with such strength that it caught Link off balance. She willed Link to recover quickly and almost cried out as the King of Evil kicked him in the stomach.

_I can't take it._

She hated the sound of steel grating on steel. She hated hearing him in pain. She was so scared of something going wrong again, of him getting stabbed again, this time in the heart...

_Stop thinking like that._

Link was already on the offense again, striking so fast his blade was no more than a flash of light. Sometimes he nicked Ganondorf, causing him to growl. Other times, he was met with his blade.

Again, Zelda was impressed with the improvement of her hero's skills.

_Her hero._

Ganondorf faked two consecutive blows to the left and instead swung out with his fist, catching Link in the face. Blood poured from his nose, and Zelda's heart began to weep.

_Look at him, taking all the hits for you. You're weak. You're a weak, faithless little girl who lets others do the dirty work for her. You should be ashamed of yourself._

She shook her head. That wasn't true.

But Ganondorf managed to swipe his blade across Link's shoulder, drawing a line of blood that seeped through his tunic. She was Chosen too, wasn't she? But she was Chosen to watch helplessly. She was too dainty to bleed.

Zelda gnawed on her lip, wringing her hands in her dress. The suspense was killing her.

Link ducked one of Ganondorf's swings and rolled behind him, landing a solid blow on his back. The King of Evil roared with anger, dashing forward with several powerful blows. Link met each and every one of them with his sword, a look of pure determination on his face.

_What is Wisdom even good for __anyway? All you've ever done is get yourself captured. How smart can you really be? Then again, the Hero is the one risking his neck out there on the battlefield while you stay nice and safe and tucked away. Maybe you are smart, but you're a coward nonetheless._

She wanted to cry, to scream. Swords locked, punches were thrown, a shield was raised, blood was drawn. It was all so fast, so heated.

She was so invested in the battle that she nearly jumped out of her skin when a scream pierced the air of the realm.

It was Midna, grabbing her head and staggering froward. Her limbs went limp and she sank to her knees like a puppet cut loose from its strings. Tears flowed down her cheeks and sobs racked her willowy frame.

Ganondorf didn't flinch at her cry. Unfortunately, much to Zelda's dismay, Link looked over, granting Ganon the perfect opportunity to punch him in the face once again.

"Zelda?" Midna croaked. "Zelda, is that you?"

Something wrenched in Zelda's heart. Was this the same Midna who was hard as stone only minutes earlier? The Midna who was working with Zant and would have gladly seen her dead?

When she looked over, all doubts were erased. The teary eyes looking back at her contained no trace of the iciness they once had, and they were most definitely Midna.

_Remember what she did to you?_

Allowing herself to look away from the battle, she took a few steps toward her friend.

"Z-Zelda," Midna sobbed. "I- I... he... It wasn't me!"

_Remember how she betrayed you?_

She knelt down and brought her friend's head into her lap, running her fingers through her hair.

Link yelped in surprise as Ganondorf leapt into the air. He jumped out of the way just in time to avoid the massive sword that nearly cut him in half where he stood.

Her heart nearly stopped.

"Shh, Mid," she whispered.

The others looked at her warily, remembering all too well how Midna had tortured them. How she had laughed at them, sneered at them, threatened them. Beaten them, hurt them. Zelda saw the fear and suspicion in their eyes, feelings that were very valid. But Aryll, Hylia, nodded at her, smiling sadly.

"She's free," she said. "She's free."

"I wasn't me," Midna whispered. "It was him, Zelda-"

Zelda could only nod and squeeze her friend's shoulder reassuringly. She had no words that would console her.

Sheik soon moved over to join them, Aryll still cradled in his arms. Without a word, he took Midna's hand and squeezed it.

He forgave her. He understood.

Midna managed a smile through her tears, the relief evident on her face.

_Why couldn't I make her smile?_

_Fool. How could you help her when you can't even help yourself? Stupid girl. You're just as broken as she._

* * *

><p><strong>Triforce Realm<br>(Link)**

Midna's scream threw off his rhythm. He was distracted, and Ganondorf immediately took advantage by smacking him in the face. His skin smarted, stimulating his adrenaline further.

He was in full hero mode; every move he made was intended to kill. His blood flowed like fire in his veins, igniting a spark within him. He was a little frightened by the force of his own will and his growing desire to see blood.

_You're so close, Link_, Fi told him. _You're doing so well. _

Then it would be over. Then he could take Aryll and go home where they'd be happy and safe.

He dodged Ganondorf's massive blade as it came crashing to earth. Rushing forward, he sliced his right shoulder, reveling in his roar of pain.

He didn't have much time for reveling, however, as Ganondorf was quickly back on his feet and pressing forward once again. Link deflected all his slices, stabs and slashes, panting with every block.

His muscles burned and his lungs were screaming, but he'd never felt more alive.

The thrill he got when their blades locked was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Every swing he took felt powerful, every step he took felt burdened with extreme purpose.

_This is your destiny._

For the first time, he really felt like a hero. Felt like THE hero. For the first time, he was proud of the green tunic he wore.

Ganondorf struck out and attempted to kick him, but Link had come to anticipate that dirty trick and jumped back. Ganondorf was caught off balance, and Link rushed forward.

Without warning, Ganondorf's hand shot out, catching Link by the neck and lifting him off the ground. Link struggled, finding himself caught in a chokehold for the second time that day.

He gasped and kicked, trying to hit him, trying to move his sword, trying to do_ something_. Unfortunately, he couldn't count on his fire wand to come to his rescue again.

"Checkmate," Ganondorf whispered, grinning smugly at the hero.

Black spots danced across Link's vision, and everything started to grow hazy and out of focus.

"No," he rasped, "No."

Ganondorf began to laugh. "'No' what? Face it, boy. You lost. And this time, I don't think you'll be getting back up."

His hand tightened around Link's throat.

"I win. You lose. Let those be the last words ringing around in your pathetic little skull- AUGH!"

Link was suddenly released from Ganondorf's grip and fell to the ground, coughing and sputtering. He looked up to see gold tendrils of magic crackling across the Dark King's body.

His brow furrowed. "Who-?"

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and he knew immediately who had helped him.

"I couldn't just watch," he heard her whisper.

He saw all the dead Lizalfos. She'd killed those, too.

Getting to his feet, he turned to face her. She looked so much different than the girl he had remembered. Her hair was limp, the radiance was gone from her eyes and the life had drained from her skin. She was hardly a ghost of her former self. She looked nothing like the girl he'd had a crush on in fourth grade.

"Zelda," he said, searching for the right words. "You just saved my life."

She nodded, but her eyes were focused behind him. Link turned and saw that Ganondorf had recovered from her strike. His golden eyes burned with fury.

"Bitch," he hissed. "After all I've done for you..."

Another stream of magic shot from Zelda's fingertips, hitting him in the chest. He cried out in pain, jerking as the electrical shock coarser through his body.

"'_All you've done for me_?'" she shrieked. "You kidnapped me! You stole me from my family! Then you took me again and shattered everything I thought to be real! You've _ruined_ me!"

She was breathing heavily, face flushed with anger. Her voice was full of such raw anguish that Link couldn't help but to feel bad. What had happened to her?

Ganondorf pulled himself to his feet again. Link readied his sword, knowing Zelda had his back.

She shot another burst of magic, which Ganondorf dodged. Link rushed forward, sword clashing with the King of Evil's once again.

They exchanged blows with new fervor, a whirlwind of slashes and parries. Everything else seemed to fade away but the two of them.

A thrust, a block, a point, a swipe up.

It was purely instinct now; Link was barely controlling any move he made.

After what seemed like years, Ganondorf jumped back, breathing heavily.

_Atta boy, you've worn him out. Now go for the kill._

"Link!" Zelda called.

He turned to look at her and saw her fingers bursting with magic, begging to be used. She nodded at his sword then looked back at her hand, and he understood. A simple glance was all he needed.

The first time, he hit the magic away like a baseball, nearly hitting Saria in the face. He sent her a mental apology, but said nothing.

Ganondorf began coming towards him again, sword in hand and murder in his eyes.

The second time, the blade seemed to absorb Zelda's magic, and Link knew this was Fi stepping in to lend a hand.

_You know what to do._

Ganondorf rushed at him with a guttural war cry, and Link anticipated his every movement. Right as the Dark King raised his sword to strike, Link stabbed forward, plunging the magically charged blade straight into his heart.

The magic seemed to explode inside of him, fizzling through his system. When it finally died down, Ganondorf was left standing up, eyes wide and mouth open in shock.

Slowly, he lurched forward and fell to his knees. His eyes frantically scanned the Triforce Realm, searching for someone, something, and finally coming to rest on Zelda.

"Ze..lda..." he croaked, blood dribbling out of his mouth. "My pr...prince..ss..."

Zelda regarded him coolly, her face that of an icy queen. "Rot in hell."

Those were the last words the Dark King heard before the light died from his eyes. His confusion and hurt were splayed across his face for eternity.

For a second, all Link could do was stare at the corpse and let the adrenaline exited his system. Suddenly, he felt absolutely exhausted. He became painfully aware of every ache and every wound on his body. The weight of the past couple of months came crashing down on top of him.

"Oh my gods," he whispered. "Oh my..."

"Hey."

At the sound of the small voice, Link froze. This is what he had been looking forward to. This is why he had agreed to be a hero. It had all come to this.

"Aryll..." he turned around and captured her in a tight hug, memorizing exactly how it felt to have his little sister in his arms again. "Aryll, oh gods I missed you so mu-"

"Link."

Her grave tone caused him to freeze and look down at her.

The girl he saw was not his sister. Her eyes were too old, her posture too rigid, her expression too sympathetic. This wasn't Aryll. Not anymore.

"You're-"

"Hylia," she finished for him. "That's right."

Tears stung his eyes, and he tried his best to blink them away. "Oh. Well."

He didn't know what to say.

"What... what about my sister? What about Aryll?"

"She's in here," Hylia said, pressing a hand to her heart. "She always has been. We're connected, two souls in one body."

"I don't understand, can't I talk to her? I just want to see her," Link choked out. "That's all I want, please."

"Oh, Link," Hylia sighed, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek. "You've saved this country. You rid the land of the Dark King, and the war is ending as we speak. You've done so well."

He opened his mouth, then closed it. A circle had gathered around the two, a circle of grim, familiar faces. Zelda. Sheik and Midna. Saria. Teagan and the King. Lulu and Darunia. He felt his chest tighten.

"So... So now what?" he asked, afraid of the answer. His throat suddenly felt very dry, and he could hear every single beat of his heart.

"Now we all go home. You all return to Hyrule, and I return to the Sacred Realm with my sisters."

He felt his heart beat faster. "Just Hylia, right? Not Aryll? Aryll stays here, right?" he asked, his voice raising about three octaves.

"Link, I..." she trailed off, a single tear spilling down her cheek.

And for a second, it _was _Aryll. It _was_ his little sister who he loved with every fiber of his being, the one who fed the seagulls and wanted to be a pirate when she grew up.

"I'm sorry."

The realm began to melt away around them, and Link found himself being pulled away from his younger sister.

"NO!" he screamed reaching out for her.

She was crying now, crying as she faded away faster and faster into an ethereal white glow.

_"ARYLL!"_

When the white light cleared, he was back in Hyrule Field, surrounded by his friends. His brain was no longer split; his _dimidium _was gone. His wounds were healed.

Slowly, he surveyed those around him.

Sheik and Saria were there. Zelda was there. Teagan and Matthew and Darunia and Lulu were all there.

But Aryll wasn't there.

That was when he broke.

His insides all shattered, and he sank to his knees, allowing his tears to fall on his bloody sword.

* * *

><p><strong>An epilogue will follow.<strong>


	51. Epilogue

**Well guys, this is it. It's taken three years, but I've finally finished my first multi-chapteral project ever. I started to hate it at the end and seriously almost lost all motivation. I never would have finished it if it weren't for all of your positive reviews encouraging me to continue.**

**So thank you to the 1000+ of you that reviewed this story and helped see it through to the end. Some of you have stuck with me since the beginning, and I find that amazing, considering I started this as a freshman to develop my writing technique. I really can't express how grateful I am for your support :)**

**I would list all of you that reviewed, but that would take a long time and I think you all just want to know what happens. I'm still grateful for each and every one of you!**

**I hope you enjoy this last installment of _Reality_, and keep your eyes ****open. I have more stuff in the works!**

**Thank you all again :)**

**~Leila**

**warning: one little f bomb, though I think it's pretty validated**

* * *

><p><strong>Some legends are told,<strong>  
><strong>Some turn to dust or to gold,<strong>  
><strong>But you will remember me<strong>  
><strong>Remember me for centuries<strong>  
><strong>And just one mistake,<strong>  
><strong>Is all it will take,<strong>  
><strong>We'll go down in history<strong>  
><strong>Remember me for centuries<strong>

**/_Centuries _by Fall Out Boy/**

* * *

><p><strong>epilogue<strong>

* * *

><p>They were all honored at a ceremony in front of Hyrule Castle. People threw flowers at their feet and cheered their names.<p>

Link watched as the head priestess placed medals around their necks. The King. The new Princess. Teagan, Sheik, Saria, Lulu, Darunia, and some girl named Ashei whom he didn't recognize.

She smiled graciously, but her eyes were dead. Link suspected he looked the same.

When his time came, he bowed his head and allowed the priestess to bestow the medal upon him.

"Behold," she called to the crowd. "Behold the heroes of Hyrule!"

The crowd cheered again, chanting and laughing and clapping.

_Congratulations! You killed to get here. You're a mass murderer. You deserved to die back there._

As he stepped off of the podium, Link heard two familiar voices yelling at him from the crowd.

"Link! Hey, Link!"

"Liiink! It's your auntie and uncle!"

Sure enough, his aunt and uncle stood in the front of the crowd, smiling fake sugary smiles and waving a little too-enthusiastically. He met their eyes with an icy glare, and mouthed two words at them.

_"Fuck you."_

Those words had never tasted so sweet.

He was mobbed by old friends and neighbors and people of the town, asking him to sign things, congratulating him- _congratulating for what?- _and thanking him for his services.

He had to get out of Hyrule, he knew that. Too many people knew him. There were too many reminders of Aryll.

So he left. He left after he watched Roy's coffin descend into the earth. He left after he attended a memorial service for Tetra. They couldn't recover her body.

_Why did my friends have to die? _

He took only a backpack and the Master Sword and ended up in Skyloft City, knocking on the door of a cozy little cottage. He didn't know where else to go.

Koume and Kotake welcomed him into their home without question.

They loved him like a grandchild, and that was exactly what he needed. If Aryll wasn't there to love him, someone else had to.

He stayed in Skyloft City for almost three years. He and Fi helped the sisters run their potions shop and performed chores and errands the couldn't do in their old age. Slowly but surely, he was able to recover. He collected his shattered pieces, and he began to smile again.

All the homemade cookies and pancakes on Saturdays and curling up by the fireplace and the jokes and the hugs and the cakes on his birthday was just what he needed. He'd never known how good his name could taste written on a cake or how sweet it was to wake up wrapped in a blanket when he had fallen asleep on the couch.

The nightmares didn't go away, but then, he figured they never would.

The sisters were just the thing he needed to get back on track, and after his twentieth birthday, they began dropping subtle hints about returning to Hyrule. They fought about it too many times to count. He was scared. But as usual, Koume and Kotake were right. It was time for him to go back.

With a lot of hugs, a bag of cookies, and a little bit of tears, he hopped about the Spirit Tracks and made his way back to Hyrule.

Everything was so different, yet exactly the same.

He found that he had missed the smell of the beach and the sound of the waves. The first thing he did was buy an ice cream and feed the cone to the seagulls.

Then, he'd made his way down familiar streets and stepped into an old, rundown building that smelled like beer and fried food.

Before he could even react, he was swept into a crushing hug.

"Oh, honey," Telma had whispered, tears spilling onto his hair. "Where have you been?"

He began to live in an apartment above Telma's tavern and worked there to pay his rent. He liked his job, and liked the people he served. People always whispered when he approached their tables, and he always pretended not to notice. Some people asked him up front if he was the hero, and he always responded with a small smile and a shrug.

Teagan and the King announced their engagement, and Link wasn't surprised in the least. He was, however, surprised to receive an invitation in the mail asking him to be a groomsman.

He reunited with Sheik and their best-friendship picked right where it had left off three years ago. Sheik and Midna were getting pretty serious, and he told Link he was considering proposing.

Midna was fragile. Being controlled by Zant had destroyed every trace of the spunky girl he knew in high school and had left behind a paranoid shell of a person. The bastard had raped her and gotten her pregnant, and she and Sheik decided to keep the child. He was an energetic little boy they called Wolfe, though he took after his father and Midna could never look him in the eye. Sheik said she often woke up screaming from nightmares and needed assurance that she was in fact herself.

All the Sages were living inside of the Temple of Time and worshipping the goddesses alongside the priestesses. Saria was pleased to see him and announced that she was currently dating Agitha, her longtime childhood friend.

Lulu's boyfriend, Mikau, had been killed during the war, leaving her a pregnant widow. Darunia stepped into the role of adoptive father, and they named the child after his father. The two had gotten married a year after the war and were very happy.

He held on to the Master Sword, and Fi remained his faithful companion. She was there to soothe his nightmares and talk through his fears. She had been there. She understood.

There was one person he could never bring himself to see. Telma had suggested he go to the castle several times, but he always made up one excuse or the other.

He just wasn't sure he could face her.

Two years passed in Hyrule, and he fell into a routine. He worked at Telma's all day. He would visit a different friend every night, and he always found some way to keep himself busy. He took the occasional trip to Skyloft City to visit Koume and Kotake.

He was content, though Teagan and Matthew's wedding was approaching, and he was considering saying he couldn't go.

_She _would be there.

One day, while working at at the tavern, Telma shoved a platter of food into his hands.

"Would you be a doll and take this to table 3 outside? I'm swamped."

He took the food without second thought and made his way to the patio. As he walked, he examined the food on the platter and suddenly felt that Telma hadn't coincidentally handed him this particular tray.

Onion rings. Fish and chips. One pink lemonade with two straws.

His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a hooded figure sitting at table 3, the table he and Sheik had painted when they were kids. His mouth went dry, and his heart pounded in his chest.

"Hey, Link," she'd greeted him.

So casual.

"Zelda."

It was silent for a moment, until she pulled off her hood and smiled at him.

Her beauty took his breath away. The last time he'd seen her, she was a malnourished wreck. She'd recovered very well. Her eyes shone, her cheeks were rosy, and her long golden hair was done up in an intricate braid.

"Sit with me?"

Of course he did.

They talked for hours, and Link found all his fears melting away.

She told him how she'd been kidnapped, and how Nabooru took her place to trick him. He told her of the obstacles he'd met after her disappearance.

By the end of the night, when she'd left to go back to the castle, he'd fallen in love with her all over again.

They began see in each other again, first as good friends, then as lovers. They walked arm-in-arm down the aisle at Teagan and Matthew's wedding, smiling at each other the whole way.

The King and new Queen were wed, and Link began wondering about the possibilities in his own future.

Sheik and Midna were married that same year. Midna was pregnant as she walked down the aisle, and soon gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

Link began living at the castle to be closer to Zelda and assisted in training the Royal Army. Ashei, the woman accredited with bringing down the dragon in the war, had been appointed the Captain of the Hylian Army, which now accepted people of any gender they identified with.

She was amazing with a sword, and Link loved working with her. Though he did find it odd how someone like her was married to his old high school teacher, Shad.

Teagan and Matthew had a baby girl whom they named Syrella after Zelda and Matthew's late sister. Lulu and Darunia had twins around that time, and the Temple of Time was full of the sound of little feet. Saria and Agitha were married that same year.

Marriage surrounded them, and Link was receiving hints that Zelda was looking for the same.

So, five years after he returned to Hyrule, Link Carstairs proposed to Princess Zelda Nohansen Hyrule over a glass of Telma's pink lemonade.

They were wed almost immediately, and it was a wonderful ceremony.

Koume and Kotake came up from Skyloft City. Teagan and Matthew with there, along with baby Syrella. Sheik was best man, Midna was the maid of honor. Their Wolfe was the ring-bearer. Lulu, Darunia, and their children were there. Saria and Agitha were there. Even Fi came out of her blade to be present for the ceremony.

And Link knew Aryll was there in spirit.

He requested an empty chair reserved for her.

Link cried when he saw Zelda walk down the aisle. It was the happiest moment of his life, and he'd never been more excited to kiss her than he had been that day.

They were an interesting couple. Nights were spent consoling the other after nightmares had them calling out. The Princess still visited a therapist weekly, and Link talked to Fi for at least an hour a day.

For the most part, however, they were determined to leave the past behind them. They had a very promising future.

Very soon after the wedding, Zelda became pregnant, and nine months later, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

"She's so small," Link whispered, kneeling at Zelda's bedside.

Zelda smiled tiredly, cradling her newborn with the pride only a mother knows. "She is. She looks like her daddy."

"Nah, it's all her mother."

The doctor came in, smiling widely at the happy parents. "Have we decided on a name?" she asked.

Link and Zelda looked at each other. They hadn't really put too much thought into names, and the ones they had been considering didn't seem to fit their little girl.

There was a long, drawn out silence. Neither had to speak, their eyes did all they talking. And finally, they reached a consensus.

"Aryll," Zelda said softly. "Her name is Aryll."

* * *

><p><strong>The end.<strong>


End file.
